


Des sentiments à nouveau

by M1stress



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Feelings, Fluff, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Overwatch - Freeform, Reader-Insert, Slow Burn, Team Talon (Overwatch)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2020-02-10
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 23,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21852379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M1stress/pseuds/M1stress
Summary: When Widowmaker received the news that a girl would have to live with her, at her house, she wasn't pleased at all. But the annoyingly sweet girl might just be the one to finally break the walls around Amélie's heart and bring her emotions back.Quick note: I'm using my character's name (Esther) because I really don't like using the Y/N thing, but feel free to imagine Esther however you like, this story is just like the Reader insert ones.
Relationships: Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix/Original Female Character(s), Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix/Reader, Widowmaker | Amélie Lacroix/You
Comments: 52
Kudos: 73





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

> Hello guys, so it's been a while that I wanted to write a Widowmaker story. Because her origin story is so tragic and I wanted to give her some happiness, so when this idea came into my head I decided to finally do it. It probably won't be the best story ever, because I only have a vague idea of what I want to do here, but I'll figure things out along the progression of the story.  
> This is basically a side project for me, that I will only continue if you guys like it, so the feedback is appreciated.  
> I know that this first part seems kinda rushed, but it's only the introduction to the main plot, that's why it's short and without that many details. Also, English is not my first language, so forgive me for any mistakes :D  
> The next and official first chapter will be out soon. ♥

Today was a sunny yet chilly morning at the Talon headquarters. Amélie was doing her usual morning routine, she was at the Talon base because she came from a mission last night and was too tired to go back home, but she would soon. She found Reaper at the kitchen, he had his mask off, which was a bit unusual. 

"Widowmaker" he greeted her in his usual neutral tone, she complimented him back, sitting in one of the chairs at the table and drinking her coffee. 

"I need to talk to you, it's serious" 

"Then talk" she was calm, like always. 

"My older sister died last week, and now my niece is coming here to see me" 

Amélie looked at him, a slightly surprised look on her face "I didn't know you had family" 

"She is all I have left of family now" he looked at her for the first time.   
"That being said, I have a mission for you" 

Amélie just raised an eyebrow to him. 

"My niece, her name is Esther, and she is coming here because I'm all she has too. But my job here could eventually make her a target, and I want to keep her safe at all costs" 

"And what does that have to do with me, Reaper?" Amélie was still calm, but more skeptical. 

"I want her to stay at your house" he raised his eyes to Amélie again, daring her to say something. 

"What? Are you insane? I don't take guests, much less young ones if you think I will babysit this girl you are very wrong" Amélie was starting to sound a bit more irritated, she was griping her mug a little tighter. 

"She's 27 Amélie, I don't want you to babysit her, I want her to be somewhere safe, and right now your home is the safest place we got and it is away from civilization. You don't even have to talk to her if you don't want to, your house is huge enough for you two to be there and don't even see each other. All I want is for her to be there, and be kept safe" Reaper talked like Amélie had a choice, but she knew better. Eventually, she agreed, against her will, but she could only hope that she didn't have the need to exchange more than two words per day with that girl. 

* * *

Esther arrived at the end of that day, and it was the first time that Amélie saw Reaper hug someone, or even truly smile.

"Amélie, this is Esther, my niece. Esther this is Widowmaker, or Amélie, our sniper, you will be staying at her house" 

"Hello chérie" Amélie said in a neutral tone, she was observing the girl in front of her. Esther looked innocent, shy, but sweet, she wouldn’t admit it though. But it was clear that she didn't know everything that Talon was about, and by the look on Reaper's face, it was supposed to stay that way. 

"Hi" Esther gave her a little wave and a timid smile, she was nervous, she could sense that she was in a dangerous place, with dangerous people. But she trusted her uncle, and he was all she had now. Amélie had blueish skin, it was... Different, to say the least, but she was still stunning. She looked very serious, but Esther felt curious to know her a little better. 

"Hola girl, good luck living with that one, she can be an angsty pain in the ass, right friend?" Said a beautiful girl that Esther presumed was Sombra, Widowmaker looked at her with daggers in her eyes, but Sombra could only laugh. Esther chatted with the hacker a bit, they already looked like long-time friends.

Sombra promised to keep in touch, saying she was in deep need of more friends other the smoky guy and the spider, Esther was happy to agree, she could use a friend with that sense of humor to make her days lighter.

As soon as Esther arrived she was leaving again, to her new home, Widowmaker’s home that is. Her uncle told her that this was the safest place for her to be, and she trusted him, he gave her a phone in case she ever needed to contact him or, as he said, if Amélie didn't behave as she was supposed to. Esther found that part a little odd, but she preferred to not comment on it. 

Right now, she is in one of their jets heading to the Château Guillard, apparently, that was the name of the house, it was located near Annecy in southeastern France. Everything looked beautiful already, different from what Esther was used to, mountains with green and orange trees covered the majority of the area, there was a small town nearby, and then she saw it, a huge house that looked more like a castle, it was beautiful, you could only reach it by boat or plane. 

They landed there, Esther got out with her bag in hand, looking around her, she felt small in the middle of the huge walls of the house. Reaper and Amélie were talking in the background, but Esther didn't pay much attention. She only stopped looking at her surroundings when someone came to take her bag. 

"Good evening mademoiselle, I'm Pierre, the butler of Mrs. Lacroix, may I take your bag to your room?" A tall man with a mustache said to her in the most formal voice Esther had ever heard, but he seemed kind. 

"Hey, hello, of course. Thank you" Esther handed him her bag, she had a big smile on her face, she could already tell that life here would be interesting. 

Esther heard the click-clack of heels approaching her, and she felt a chill ran down her spine when a smooth voice talked behind her. 

"I see you've met Pierre, you may ask anything you want for him. So don't bother me" Amélie gave Esther a side glance and headed inside the house. 

"Okay, don't worry" Esther didn't want to be enemies with the woman she would be living with for, probably, a long time. So, she would have to work on that. 

"I hope you can settle in well, I have to go, but you can call me if you need to" her uncle said to her, giving her one last hug of goodbye. 

"It's okay, I'll be fine. I already love the place here" Esther smiled to him and waved goodbye. She watched as the jet faded out in the sky. 

She stood there in the yard for some seconds, thinking about what her life was now. She was living in the middle of nowhere, with an elite sniper who seemed to hate her, in this huge house that looked like a castle, but hey, the view was amazing. 

Eventually, Pierre showed Esther her room, it was big, with a huge bed and windows, it was perfect. But everything here suddenly seemed so big, that it started to look lonely. Esther wondered how it was to actually live here all alone, like Amélie, with no one but Pierre to make her company. 

She knew the story of the Widowmaker, how she was the perfect assassin, with no feelings, no emotions. But to Esther she always looked troubled, not without emotions, she just looked like someone who suffered more than anyone ever should. But it was too late to change that now. Or maybe not? 


	2. A starry night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hello, I know this chapter is a bit small, but I felt like it should end where it did. ♥

The first few days on the house were pretty quiet, Esther barely saw Amélie. When she usually went down to eat it was just her and Pierre bringing the food, she seemed to be the only one to even use the library, the only times she would see Amélie would be when they'd occasionally pass by each other on the hallways. At first, it was a bit strange to see the Widowmaker without her usual uniform, but Esther soon got used to it, and it was a good feeling, at least Amélie seemed comfortable enough to change clothes. Esther always gave her a smile that went unnoticed when she passed by, but she was trying. 

Amélie, on the other hand, saw Esther quite often. The younger girl spent most of the daytime looking at the mountains and the city faraway, reading a book or drawing, she'd be lying if she said she wasn't curious to know what all those drawings are about. Amélie knew the time that Esther usually went down to eat, she thought about joining, but she knew better than to do that. 

The first week followed like that, they barely exchanged words, just a few greetings here and there. But one night the things started to change. 

It was a particularly cold night, the clock on Esther's bedside table read 1:57 AM, but she wasn't tired. She was drawing, but she was bored with that as well, so she walked to the window. The sky was so beautiful, only a few clouds covering it, leaving the rest open to show the stars, so many stars and a half-moon decorated the night, Esther loved to look at nature, but soon she was hit with an ice-cold wind that made her entire body shiver even though she was wearing a long sleeve shirt and pajama pants. She closed her curtains and thought about how good hot chocolate would taste now, and that was exactly what she was going to prepare for herself. 

Esther presumed that Amélie would be long asleep by now, so she walked carefully without making any sounds, the last thing she needed right now was an angry sniper after her. Esther reached the kitchen without trouble, it was definitely the biggest kitchen she had ever seen and she still didn't know where half of the things were, but after opening six counters she found what she wanted. This house was so big that even the kitchen had a balcony, and was not a little one, nothing in this house seemed to be little, so while her hot chocolate was microwaving Esther decided to go to the balcony look at her beloved stars. 

But when Esther reached the balcony she let out a small noise of surprise, because there was a silhouette there, already looking at the sky. 

Amélie was deep in thought, this would happen sometimes, she would feel too overwhelmed with... Something, that she just needed some time out with the cold night wind to clear her head. Sometimes this thing would go away fast, other times, like today, it would persist, breaking her bit by bit until there was nothing more, leaving the pieces for her to pick up by herself, like always. These times, harder times, some tears would slip her eyes, she ignored them, ignored the pain she wasn't supposed to feel. 

But this night, Amélie heard a soft gasp, and her entire body froze, she couldn’t breathe for some seconds. There was someone there, watching her while she was vulnerable, and she knew who it was. 

Esther looked at her for a moment, it was dark and she couldn't see much besides a shadow of her body, but she saw Amélie stiffen after she heard Esther. Amélie was wearing a simple shirt and shorts, but it was so cold, she must be freezing. Esther took two steps forward, but stopped herself, what could she do? It was clear that Amélie wasn't fine, but she also wouldn't accept help. 

Esther's thoughts came to an abrupt stop when the silhouette finally seemed to move, she didn't turn completely, only enough so she could look at Esther. But the moon reflected something on Amélie’s face, those were tears? Or was Esther seeing things? 

"What are you doing up, chérie?" Amélie's tone was deep, normal, but something there faltered, and Esther noticed. But that didn't make her less anxious. 

"I... I'm sorry... I couldn't sleep, so I came to make some hot chocolate" Esther rushed the words out, looking down.   
"I'm already going though, don't worry" 

Esther turned to go, but stopped, it just didn't felt right, to just leave Amélie there, she had to at least try.   
So she asked, with a timid voice, a common and simple question. 

"Are you okay?" 

Amélie let the slight look of surprise appear on her face, she didn't remember the last time someone asked her that, the last time that someone cared enough to. But she couldn’t, she wasn't supposed to feel. So she turned her back to Esther again and looked at the sky. 

Esther sighed, well, she tried. Maybe eventually Amélie would open up. She took one last look at her, then grabbed her mug with the hot chocolate and proceeded to her room. 

For the first time, one tiny part of Amélie was asking her to say that no, she was not okay, and to ask the girl to just stay, to please fill the void that walked with her for so long now. To cease the need of comfort she wasn’t supposed to have. 

That night, Esther dreamed about a certain sniper. 

That night, the sniper let more tears escape her than she normally would.


	3. Distant sunset

For the next two days, Esther didn't saw Amélie, not even once, it was weird, and she was a little worried. She even asked Pierre about her, but he only told Esther that she didn't want to be bothered. 

Right now, Esther was sitting outside, on the yard, it was a cloudy day today even though it was still morning the day already seemed a bit dark. She was looking at the sea and the mountains in the distance, playing with her necklace, the one she never took off of her neck, it had a seashell pendant on it, she remembers when her and her mother found this exact shell on the beach, it has a dark blue color that fades to a lighter shade at the end. Her mother loved the beach, the memory brought a sad smile to Esther's face, she missed her mother deeply, she still doesn't understand why someone would kill such a sweet person. Her mother’s death is a mystery, and that is the reason Esther is here, that was why she came to her uncle, whoever killed her mother could be after her too. 

Esther didn't realize she started crying, all of this still didn't seem quite real. It seemed like her mother would come to her, and hug her and tell her that everything was alright at any minute, but it wouldn't happen. So Esther took a deep breath and brushed her tears away. 

It was almost time for lunch, so Esther decided to take a tour in the immense house and find the dining room, she put her earbuds on and started to listen to Hey Jude by The Beatles, it was an old song, but Esther loved it, especially because her mom used to sing it to her. 

Eventually, Esther started to sing along to the lyrics, without really paying attention to where she was going. 

_Hey Jude, don't make it bad_   
_Take a sad song and make it better_   
_Remember to let her into your heart_   
_Then you can start to make it better_

_Hey Jude, don't be afraid_   
_You were made to go out and get her_   
_The minute you let her under your skin_   
_Then you begin to make it better_

But Esther's vibe was killed when she hit something, or rather, someone. Esther slowly looked up to see yellow eyes piercing through her soul, she clutched her phone to her chest and made the most apologetic face she could muster. Even though Amélie was just some inches taller than Esther, right now, she felt like she was towering her. Every time Amélie looked at her, Esther felt like she was doing something wrong, just by existing, but today her gaze was a little different, softer maybe? Just a little. 

Amélie could hear Esther's heart beating wildly in her chest, possibly fear, but who wouldn’t be afraid of the Widowmaker? And Amélie never cared about that, but right now, this girl being afraid of her just didn't feel nice. 

The younger girl was expecting Amélie to just brush past her like always, but she was very much surprised by the following events. Amélie moved her hand up slowly, never once removing her eyes from the girl's face, she gently pulled one of Esther's earbuds out, and said surprisingly soft "lunch will be ready soon, come on"

Just then she brushed past Esther, leaving behind her a confused girl with a slight red blush on her cheeks. 

Eventually, Esther followed, running a bit to catch up with Amélie and walk beside her, they walked in silence, but it was a comfortable one. 

The dining area was beautiful, a big wooden table that had a rug beneath it that probably costs more than everything Esther has and three huge windows that showed a wonderful view. 

It was the first time that the two of them were eating together, Esther couldn't help herself, occasionally she would steal glances towards Amélie. The food here was always great, Esther wondered if Pierre was the one to cook.

Even though Amélie was never one for keeping company, it's good that the house is not so empty anymore, she herself doesn’t feel that empty anymore, it's a strange sensation. Truth be told, Esther was quite nice to have around. 

Esther's attention was captured when Amélie started talking. 

"I have a mission tomorrow morning, you will be alone during the day chérie" she said without looking up like it was no big deal. 

"What kind of mission?" 

"Just a target to kill" 

Well, it definitely was a big deal, that target probably had guards, which meant danger, which meant the possibility of her getting hurt. Why Esther cared, she didn't know. She thought about saying something, tell Amélie that she should be careful, but it probably would be unwelcomed. So she just nodded and said a simple. 

"Okay" 

* * *

The night came fast today, they didn't talk again after lunch. At this moment Amélie was lying in her bed, looking at the ceiling, like most nights, sleep wouldn't come easy. She was used to missions by now, but this one left her a little unsure, she was heading to a pool full of sharks without any backup, but she would make it, like always. 

Finally, Amélie was starting to drift into sleep, she was almost sleeping when... Suddenly she heard a very loud sound of something heavy hitting the ground and right after a distant voice saying something in the lines of 'she'll kill me'. Amélie sighed, closed her eyes for a second, and then got up. 

Esther's room was not far from Amélie’s room, so she was almost sure that if the sniper was awake, she heard that. Now that Esther thought about it, it was a dumb idea. 

She was bored, she had a shelf in her room, a shelf that seemed to have a very interesting book on the very top of it, Esther couldn't reach it like a normal person because she wasn't tall enough, so of course that she had the brilliant idea to climb said shelf to reach the book, but everything came falling the moment she did it. 

Now there she was, sitting on the ground, with lots of books scattered on the floor, and a heavy shelf very out of place, Amélie was going to kill her. 

When Esther's door suddenly opened she panicked, she ran towards it just in time to hold it closed, only with a little opening for her to stick her head out. 

Sure enough, Amélie was there, with a not at all amused look on her sleepy face. But oh my god did she look cute, 'focus, not the time' Esther scolded herself. 

"Hey, what's up?" Esther had a big smile on her face, trying and failing to not look guilty. 

"You tell me, chérie" Amélie crossed her arms. 

"Oh it's nothing really, you can go back to slee-" Esther was interrupted with Amélie pushing the door open, when she saw the state of the room her expression could only be read as one of 'what the fuck?'. 

Amélie analyzed the room for some seconds before whispering "comment avez-vous réussi à faire cela?" 

Esther suddenly had a huge desire to learn French. "I'm sorry, I was trying to reach a book and when I realized that it wasn't a good idea everything was already on the ground" 

Amélie slowly turned her eyes to Esther, who averted her gaze immediately. 

"I promise I'll put everything back in place" Esther said softly while playing with her own hands. 

Amélie sighed "don't bother, Pierre will take care of it" she put one finger below Esther's chin and raised the girl's head to look at her. 

"What book were you after, chérie?"

Esther's breath hitched, she answered automatically, in a low tone, her eyes never leaving Amélie’s "a white one, with golden details on it" 

Amélie’s face changed to an expression that seemed to be a mix of recognition and sadness. She had an idea of what book this was. 

She slowly removed her hand from Esther's face and walked to the books on the floor, right away she spotted it. It was a big white book with a shadow of a ballet dancer on the cover, and beneath her was written 'the story of ballet throughout history'. It was an old book, but Amélie remembers it, she used to read almost every night back in the day that she herself was a ballet dancer. She must have been staring at the book a little too long, because Esther was on her side, lightly touching her arm. 

"Everything alright?" The girl said softly. 

Too much, it was too much. 

Amélie visibly flinched away from her, she cleared her throat, adjusted her expression and handed Esther the book.

"Enjoy the reading" 

Esther took the book slowly "thank... You" she wanted to say more, but Amélie was already walking to the door and closing it with more force than necessary. Esther's mouth stayed agape, she looked at the door, thinking about going after her, about asking her again if she was alright. But she didn't. For the first time, she looked at the book and saw the ballet dancer, for the whole night she wondered what kept making Amélie act like a scared cat sometimes. 

Amélie took even more time to get to sleep that night. 

In the next morning, Amélie left the house early. Even though Esther didn't always see Amélie in the house, just by knowing that she wasn't there she already felt like something was missing, but Amélie confirmed with Pierre that she would be back after sunset. 

Esther was waiting, she didn't know why exactly, she wanted to talk to her but wasn't sure if ever would have the courage to. But she waited nonetheless. She waited, and the sun finally set. She waited, and the night eventually came, but Amélie never did. 


	4. Barriers down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 4 AM right now and I literally wrote all of this at once instead of sleeping, cheers.  
> I was just too excited to post it haha.

Since the sunset until now Esther already had changed her position on the couch about 13 times. The clock read 9:54 PM, she was in the main room, the closest to the front door, still waiting. Right now she was laying on her side, with her drawing book in hand trying to pass the time. She kept telling herself that maybe Amélie stopped at the base, or to eat something, but who knows? 

After some hours the last thing that Esther remembers was seeing the clock read 1:07 AM, after that she ended up sleeping. 

Amélie was tired, so very tired and on top of that, she had to keep her stance the whole way here, just to make sure that the jet pilot would bring her home. When they landed on her yard she let out a shaky breath of relief, she greeted the pilot and got out, thankfully he took off as soon as she was out of the jet.

When the jet was out of sight, she finally let her body rest, closing her eyes for a moment to focus because her usually sharp vision was starting to get blurry. She still had to make it inside, in silence, without anyone seeing her. 

Amélie’s steps were short, her body felt too heavy for her to carry, the front door seemed more distant than before. When she finally reached it, it took some annoying attempts to unlock it, but when she finally did, the door opened and she almost fell with it, she steadied herself on the threshold for some good seconds because if she fell now, she wasn't sure if she would be able to get back up. Her eyes captured a light coming from the main room, she hoped that someone just forgot to turn it off. 

Amélie locked the door, not at all bothering to bring her gun with her, then she started moving again, cursing herself for making her room on the second floor. But when she reached the main room she closed her eyes and unwillingly made a soft sound that sounded like a sob, she was just, so tired, but swiftly brought a hand to her mouth to keep it from making any more noise.

Of course, Esther was there, all curled up around herself, if Amélie wasn't in such a state right now, she could almost say that Esther looked adorable. But she shouldn't be here, because just that little sound was enough to wake the girl. Amélie tried to walk fast out of the room but it was to no vail, in the fourth step she was already clutching her stomach. 

Esther woke up with the bright light in the room blinding her, she hated when this happened, she let out an annoyed grumble and covered her eyes. But then a not so subtle grunt of pain caught her attention. Esther sat up quickly, and when she saw Amélie there, clutching the wall for support, her heart clenched. 

To say that Amélie looked bad was an understatement, first thing Esther noticed was a nasty cut on her lower stomach, that seemed to be a bullet graze, the next were the markings on her neck, it looked like someone squeezed there rather hard. Amélie seemed to be limping so there were probably unseen wounds on her legs, there was a cut on her lip and finally, the wounds on her hands implying that she punched a lot of things. 

Esther's face read pure shook, the first thing she could do was whisper a soft "oh no"  
But in a matter of seconds, she was already rushing to Amélie’s side. 

Amélie, on the other hand, was cursing herself again for being so fucking loud. The last thing she needed right now was this girl asking her thousands of questions, and probably one of them being 'how good of an agent are you if you can't even handle a fight?'. That's what usually happened with the ones who almost failed. So she forced herself to stand on her own and fix her posture, even though it hurt. 

"Amélie what the fuck happened? You're... You're hurt, oh my god" Esther was on the verge of panicking but she forced herself to keep it together, first things first. She went to help Amélie reach the couch but was met with a swift movement of aversion. 

"Let me help, you're hurt" the edge on Esther's voice made Amélie frown. That was new, but she knew better than to let someone help. So she just shook her head.

"WHAT? Okay, that's it, I'm tired of you telling me that you're 'fine' when you most certainly are not. I've been keeping my distance from you because you clearly don't want to talk about... Whatever you're going through. But right now, you're hurt, physically, and that's something I can't just walk away like it never happened" Esther was panting right now and she looked anxious, but Amélie was a bit surprised by her demanding tone nonetheless. 

"So, please. Let me help" she sighed, letting all her emotion take place in these words, hopping Amélie would let her in, just this once. 

Truth be told Amélie was tired, tired of fighting, especially today. So she let out a breath and closed her eyes  
"As you wish, chérie"

Visible relief took place on Esther's face, she gently got a hold of Amélie’s arm on her good side and helped her sit on the couch there. Then she rushed out of the room to find a first aid kit. 

Finally sitting down and letting her body rest was one of the best things Amélie ever felt. 

Esther came back and sat beside Amélie on the couch  
"I'll have to remove your uniform so I can treat your wounds" 

"Okay" 

Piece by piece Esther removed Amélie’s uniform, as careful as she could muster. She started at her gloves, gently taking Amélie's hands on hers, they felt cold but so soft, seeing them hurt just didn't feel right, and if Amélie squeezed Esther's hands just a little, she wouldn’t mention it. She then proceeded to her upper part, minding the cut on her stomach. Then her legs which, sure enough, revealed more dark bruises forming on her skin and some minor cuts. And then finally her boots. Amélie was so tired that she just let Esther move her around, her touch was so light that she didn't even realize she was only on her bra and underwear now. She wasn't used to that at all, that softness.

Esther had a light shade of red on her cheeks, but her expression was mostly sad. Seeing Amélie sitting there, all hurt and bruised, she looked so small, not deserving all of this. Esther sat back down and went to remove the thing on Amélie’s head, but stopped when the sniper met her eyes. Her gaze was distant, pained, but before she could say something Amélie gulped and turned her head again.

Esther took off Amélie’s visor and removed some hair that fell on her face, for her surprise Amélie leaned a little on her touch, must be the tiredness. Amélie’s ponytail looked like it was painfully done, so Esther reluctantly undid that too. Amélie looked beautiful with her hair down, and also much more comfortable. 

"I um- I'll patch up the wounds as best as I can, but you should probably go back to Talon to get better treatment" Esther was no doctor, and she could only do so much with the things here, so it was the obvious thing to do, but... 

"No, no need. I'll be fine here" Amélie met her eyes again and straightened her posture a little. Technically Esther was right, protocol said that in this case she was supposed to return to base and get fixed, like some weapon in need of repair. But the last time that Talon 'fixed' her, she suffered, a lot. So that was not an option. 

Esther thought about arguing but honestly? Amélie letting her help was a huge win already, so she preferred to not push her luck. She just nodded then. 

She took a clean cloth and went to clean the cut on Amélie’s face, this was a bit weird, Esther must be blushing madly because Amélie smirked a little, or tried to. But she put the weirdness aside and took hold of Amélie’s face, carefully wiping the dried blood on it. Amélie closed her eyes for a moment, soft, her touch was so soft. When was the last time someone treated her with such softness? She couldn’t remember. 

A tiny tear slipped Amélie’s eye, wich Esther was quick to wipe with her thumb. She already knew by now that Amélie was not the best with emotions of any kind, so she didn't comment on it. Amélie seemed surprised but, grateful, in a way. She just cleared her throat and looked away. 

Esther sadly looked at the marks on Amélie’s neck and proceeded to her worst wound, the graze on her stomach. Amélie flinched a bit when Esther first touched it but showed no reaction after. Esther cleaned and bandaged it the best she could, she could only hope it would heal quickly. Besides that there was not much else to do, her other wounds seemed internal, probably being from punches so all that there was to do was rest, and wait for it to heal. 

Amélie looked slightly better, a little more relaxed. Esther didn't know how to proceed now, so she just put the first aid kit aside and leaned her back on the couch. 

Honestly, Amélie was also at a loss of what to do, she looked down at her bruised hands, her hair fell covering part of her face. 

She shouldn't feel, she wasn't supposed to feel. 

But she almost died, and this girl took care of her, fixed her in a way no one else ever did, with care. 

She wasn't supposed to feel. 

But then there were tears running down her cheeks, she didn't know exactly why. 

She wasn't supposed to feel anything, but right now she felt too much. 

Her lip started quivering and soft sobs were shaking her body. 

But steady hands were suddenly holding her shoulders. And then those hands slowly came around her, embracing. 

Amélie couldn't fight even if she wanted to, her head dropped to Esther's shoulder, her eyes were closed and her hands found their place clutching at Esther's shirt, and she grounded herself there. Safe. 

Esther was slowly caressing Amélie’s back, soothing her trembling body. At first, she was really surprised to see the Widowmaker crying in front of her, but then she saw who she really was, Amélie was just a woman that suffered more than anyone should and just escaped a near-death experience. Esther smiled slightly and held Amélie just a little bit tighter. 

"It's okay, you're safe"


	5. Sharing stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey folks, maybe some of you already noticed in the previous chapters that my version of the whole 'Widowmaker has no feelings' thing is a bit different, and in this chapter, we will explore this a little better.  
> So I just wanted to share my view of her story, to me Talon psychologically tortured Amélie into having 'no emotions', that being whenever she showed any kind of emotion there would be punishment, until she was forced to bury any emotions deep down.  
> But, she still has them, is just strictly forced to ignore them until it ends up being a habit. I think it's more logical, because it would be impossible to just take out someone's emotions completely.
> 
> And this is something that comes up a lot in this story, Amélie is constantly having this monologue with herself about 'not feeling because she is not supposed to'.  
> That being said, enjoy the chapter ;)

Amélie woke up with a soft breathing right beside her, at first she was confused because she rarely slept with people. But then the events of last night came rushing through her mind. She remembered how she clung to Esther like she was her lifeline, how it was late at night and she was so tired and Esther was just so comfortable, she vaguely remembers Esther adjusting her half-asleep self into a more comfortable position on the couch and after that, nothing. 

But that was probably enough to explain her current situation. She was comfortable alright, half lying, half sitting, but comfortable. Her head was still resting on Esther's shoulder, who by the way had one arm embracing Amélie but seemed to be laying in a not so comfortable position. But she was asleep. 

For the first time in a very long time, Amélie felt shy, embarrassed even. She should never have allowed Esther to help, should never have been that vulnerable. But then again, it felt so nice, to have someone there for a change. Amélie took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She had to set her mind straight and take a shower. With soft and swift movements she managed to wiggle herself out of Esther's grasp without waking the girl, almost making a pained sound because she stretched her injured side a little too much. 

With a last look at the sleeping girl in front of her, Amélie gathered her clothes and took a rather pained walk to her room to take a much-needed shower and be alone with her thoughts. 

Amélie sighed as she felt the hot water on her body, it was therapeutic in a way. She steadied herself with both hands on the wall and saw some blood running down on the white tiles. Her skin was bruised, dark spots covered her torso and legs, but she couldn't care less, what troubled her was -dare she say it- her emotions. Those who shouldn't be there, the ones she should have never allowed to be there. She closed her eyes and let the water hit her face, hoping it would wash away her worries.

* * *

About an hour later Esther woke up and immediately felt the pain on her neck, making a mental note to never sleep in such position again. But she also noticed the lack of presence beside her. 'Amélie must have woken up before me and bailed somewhere' Esther thought. She was pondering whether to try and find her or not, mostly to see how her bruises were. 

Esther rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn, she felt kind of rested, but not fully. She stretched, put her hair back in place, and got up from the couch. She didn't really have the chance to shower last night so, shower it is. 

Esther got out of the shower feeling fresh, now, what to wear? She chooses her usual dark shirt and light brown comfy pants because being comfortable was the main goal here. She brushed her wet hair and when satisfied she took some good ten breaths and walked out of her room to find Amélie. 

Amélie has been sitting on her bed for a while now, she was wearing a long sleeve shirt and shorts, comfortable. She was looking out the balcony door to the mountains outside, she never tired of the view here. However, she was thinking about a certain girl and the emotions she brought to her. Amélie kept telling herself that this is not the way things should go, but for the first time, she was unable to chase the emotions away, and truth be told that made her mad, anxious and a little scared. Moira wouldn't be pleased about this, neither would Reaper. And last, how could Esther ever feel the same way? She would never, no one in their right mind would like a person like her. It hurt, to think about that this way, but it also assured her, that her and Esther, would never happen. 

Amélie was brought back to reality with a soft knock on her door, that was already open. She turned her head to see Esther standing there, she looked beautiful today, a different kind of beautiful. And right now she can't remember a single reason why she wouldn't let that girl in, and how she could possibly not fall for her. 

Esther saw that Amélie's door was open, but she preferred to knock. When Amélie looked at her she forgot how to breathe for a moment, she looked so pretty, even with her bruised skin. A bit of sunlight was hitting her skin and framing her face so perfectly, and her hair was down, Esther was glad that it was, she looked so beautiful that way, and more relaxed. 

"Hey um- I just... I wanted to check to see how you were feeling. See if you're alright" Esther whispered that last part, she still didn't know exactly how to approach that woman. 

Amélie let a tiny smile appear on her face and turned her head towards the balcony again "come in, chérie"

And so Esther did, she sat beside Amélie on her comfortable bed, leaving a reasonable space between them. A huge contrast to how close they had been the entire night. 

Esther was looking at the dark spots and cuts that marked Amélie's skin, with a sad look on her eyes. 

"How are you feeling today?" Esther brought her eyes back up to Amélie's face. 

Amélie took some seconds to answer but said a quiet "good" 

Esther slowly nodded her head and looked back down to her lap. She thought about pushing the issue, but Amélie did look slightly better, and she also didn't want to look overly protective. They stayed in silence for a few moments, the wind blowing their hairs in all directions. Until Esther remembered a question she had been meaning to ask since last night. 

She turned her head to Amélie, who suddenly became aware of the pair of eyes on her. 

"If I may ask, why didn't you want to go back to Talon so they could take better care of you?" Esther sounded so innocent there, but that question brought a pang to Amélie's heart, because it forced her to think of it, forced her to remember. She closed her eyes and gripped the blanket beneath her. When she opened them again, Esther looked worried, surprisingly, Amélie gave her a soft smile. 

"They would only hurt me more there, chérie" her voice was nothing but a whisper, she bowed her head. She must look miserable because the next thing she felt was Esther holding her hand, it was a light touch, but still there, and it was enough to make her look back up.

It had been a bold move, to take Amélie’s hand, but Esther couldn't care less at the moment. When Amélie met Esther's eyes again, she had such emotion there that even Esther was taken aback. 

"You don't have to talk about it, it's okay" Esther's voice was low, because it seemed that right now, they were in their own world. Whatever spell this was, Esther didn't want to break it. 

Amélie looked at their joined hands, giving it a light squeeze. 

"They did... bad things to turn me into what I am today. They wanted a perfect assassin, with no remorse, that would get the job done at all costs" Esther listened to her carefully.   
Amélie didn't give her details, but Esther was partially glad about that. Although it still sickened her to think of it. 

Amélie let out the high torture part, the part that they would punish her for any emotion that she would think of showing. The damage was already done so there's no point in detailing it now. 

"I'm sorry you had to go through all that" Esther had such a sympathetic look on her eyes, it almost made Amélie want to ki- 

"If it was for me, they would never touch you again" Esther grumbled more to herself than to Amélie, but she heard it anyway, it made her chuckle a little. 

Amélie was about to say something, but Pierre beat her to it. 

"Excuse me my ladies, but lunch will be ready in about ten minutes" he formerly said by the door and left. 

At last, the spell was broken. Amélie got up and cleared her throat, suddenly very aware of their proximity and the danger of it. 

"We should head down, chérie" and with that, she left her room. Leaving Esther there by herself once again. 

"Well, at least it looks like we're making progress" Esther mumbled with a tiny smile and red cheeks. She soon followed Amélie downstairs. 

* * *

They ate together again, it felt nice, normal for a moment. After that Amélie left, but Esther soon found her standing in the garden, staring at the city faraway. 

"Are you following me, chérie?" Amélie was side glancing Esther with a smirk on her face. 

Esther chuckled and braced her arms on the fence, standing beside Amélie. 

"There's not much to do here. Besides, I was wondering, what did you do before? Before Talon?" Right away Esther noticed that she hit a nerve because Amélie stiffened a little and looked away. 

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."

"It's alright, I've made my peace with it" Amélie looked at her for a second. 

"I was a dancer, a good one" the chilly wind blew Amélie’s hair, Esther had a sudden urge to run her hands through it, but she contained herself. 

"What kind of dancer?" With those long legs, Esther could easily imagine Amélie being a dancer. 

"Ballet" Amélie had a nostalgic look on her face. She seemed to miss it. 

"That's amazing. Why did you stop?" Esther was suddenly pretty excited about it, would she ever see her dance? 

To be honest, Amélie didn't know why she stopped. It just felt like she wasn't made for that anymore. But maybe things didn't change so much.

"And what about you? What's your story chérie?" As usual, Amélie was pretty vague and evasive when talking about herself. But Esther was glad that she was opening her heart, just a little. It would be good for her too after all. 

Esther had a sad smile on her face, she took her necklace on her hand, bringing Amélie’s attention to it. 

"I lived with my mom, we had a house close to the beach, it was good, happy. I used to draw a lot, for a while I worked at a pet store, I loved that place. But everything came crashing down when my mom was killed, no one knows why or who did it. That's why I'm here" Esther took a deep breath, it was still recent and still painful. But she chokes back her tears. 

"I've seen you drawing around here, may I see them?" Amélie held a soft tone, understanding. 

Esther, on the other hand, was slowly starting to panic inside. Well, that was going to be awkward.


	6. Storms of change

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have my doubts about this chapter, but I hope it's good enough.  
> Let me know your opinions. ♥

Esther was looking everywhere but Amélie, and she was probably blushing madly.   
"Oh- you wanna see my drawings?... The ones I made here?" Esther stuttered. 

Amélie raised a brow at her "yes, you draw quite a lot. And I've been curious to know what they are about"  
Her tone was neutral, but she was smirking a bit. 

Esther nodded to that, still averting Amélie’s eyes "alright, I... I'll go get my sketchbook"

And with that Esther took off, walking a little faster than usual with her heart beating even faster. Esther reached her room in no time, she was holding her sketchbook and was looking at it with a regretful expression. She closed her eyes and muttered a quiet "whatever" and left her room. 

Amélie was standing in the same place when Esther came back, she approached her slowly. 

"Um... You see, I'm not any trained artist I just draw for fun so, there's nothing too great in here" Esther reluctantly handed Amélie her sketchbook, who took it with careful hands. 

Amélie gave Esther a tiny smile and opened the book. The first drawing she saw was one of a wolf, he seemed to be in front of a lake. Amélie was impressed, it was a beautiful drawing, so perfectly made with attention to every detail, it looked so real. 

"Chérie, you are an artist and a very good one" 

Esther could only blush at that and murmur a "thanks" with a goofy smile. 

The second drawing was one of a cat, lying down on a counter. Then there were drawings of horses, landscapes, one of a woman that Amélie presumed was Esther's mother. Then drawings of her house started to appear, of the garden or some random room, every one of them perfectly done, there was even one from Pierre serving the food. Amélie looked up at Esther, who was anxiously tapping her foot on the ground. Birds were singing in the background and the cold wind was getting a little stronger, it looked like it would rain soon. 

Going back to the drawing, she found more of wolves, cats, flowers and even the sky, with starry nights and a beautiful moon. There was no doubt that Esther loved nature and animals.   
After some more drawings, Amélie turned the page and found a drawing of a little spider in the center of a page, it seemed too little for the big white page. 

"You don't... You don't need to go beyond that one" Esther whispered, biting her lip. 

"Why not?" Amélie narrowed her eyes at the girl. 

"Nothing to see?" Esther tried and failed to be convincing. 

Amélie started to turn the page and Esther looked away muttering a quiet "damn"

The next page had a drawing of a woman, she was standing in what seemed to be a balcony, looking up at a sky full of stars. Amélie looked at it for some seconds, was this her? She wasn't sure. 

She turned the page again and her question was confirmed because there she was again. Only now she was sitting at a table looking out the window, and the following drawing was her too, and the next, and the next. They were pretty different from one another, different poses, different expressions. But what caught Amélie’s attention was how light they looked, how soft she looked sometimes, beautiful or even innocent in some of them. Is this the way Esther sees her? So... Perfectly? 

Amélie’s breath hitched for a second, she never imagined someone would picture her this way, she was even a little flattered. She looked at Esther, with a questioning look. How can you see me like this? Can you not see the monster? The killer? How do you even manage to make me look so in peace?   
Those were all questions she desperately wanted to ask, but her voice was stuck. 

When Amélie looked at Esther with those bright eyes, she was at a loss.   
"I know it looks creepy but I wasn't stalking you or anything... I was just uh- practicing human anatomy" with that she shot the most reassuring smile she could muster, before looking down again. 

This brought Amélie back to reality, she chuckled. Of course, Esther would have the need to explain herself, like she was breaking some rule. She reached a hand under Esther's chin and lifted the girl's head.

"Don't worry chérie. I liked them, all of them, you are really good at drawing" 

Esther chuckled and averted her eyes "thanks, I always enjoyed to draw. I'm glad you liked them" 

Amélie closed the sketchbook and handed it back to Esther with a smile. she looked at the sky, it was getting darker, a storm was coming. 

"We should head inside, the rain will come soon" and with that Amélie turned and left. 

Esther looked at her figure for a while, did she looked a bit off? She shrugged the thought away and looked at the sea, it was agitated just like the sky. Dangerous, but Esther loved that kind of weather. After some minutes she turned and went inside as well. 

* * *

The storm was raging outside for a while now, lightning and thunder painting the sky and heavy rain flooding the ground. It was 11:48 PM, Amélie was trying to get some sleep, but the bed felt colder than normal tonight, she felt like something was missing. She could only lay on one side because her other one still hurts and that was starting to piss her off. But she tried to keep her mind occupied with thinking about the drawings that she saw earlier, could she ever be like that? Like the person that Esther saw in her? Maybe one day, she might. 

Esther was definitely a night person because right now she was wide awake video chatting with Sombra. 

"... And then when he turned away I went and put the salt in his coffee, he didn't even notice, I never saw him so pissed in my entire life" the hacker was telling Esther her amazing prank. It was so lame but both of them burst out laughing. 

"Anyway, tell me amiga, how's life with the spider?" 

Esther chuckled "it's actually not that bad, I love the place here and I'm even getting her to open up a bit" 

Sombra made a surprised face "seriously? Girl, you deserve a medal for that" 

They both laughed again, Esther loved this girl. 

After a bit more chatting they said their goodbyes. Esther looked at the clock and it read 1:28 AM, she didn't even see the time passing. The storm was still at full force outside, so she went to her window to take a closer look, but stopped midway. 

"Ah fuck" there was a reasonably large spider blocking her path. Esther didn't hate spiders, she actually liked them, just very far away from her. But she also didn't have the courage to take it out by herself, and the thought of that spider climbing on her bed at night made her entire body shiver. So she turned around and started to make her way to Pierre's room, he would probably be kind enough to take the spider out for her. 

It was 1:20 AM when Amélie woke up panting from a nightmare, they were pretty common to her, but the worst thing about those nightmares is that they were memories. Real memories from her past, specifically her worst days at Talon. She should be used to them by now, but sometimes those dreams would look so real, it seemed like she was back there and everything was happening all over again. Sadly today was one of those days, so she got up and went out of her room to take some much-needed air. 

Esther was lazily making her way to Pierre's room when she bumped into a shadowy figure. 

"AAH JESUS" Esther jumped pretty high at that, just then she realized that the figure was actually a sleepy-looking Amélie. Esther put a hand in her racing heart and braced herself on her knees, taking some deep breaths. 

"Oh, wow. You scared the shit out of me" she said a little breathless. 

"If I was a thief or an enemy you would be dead by now, we should work in your defense skills sometime" Amélie murmured with a hand on her face. 

"I know, sorry. I just didn't see you coming" for the first time Esther looked up at Amélie, it was dark and she could barely see her face, but something there didn't look right. 

"You okay?"

"Yes" the response came quickly, not at all convincing. 

"What are you doing up chérie?" 

Esther looked down, a little embarrassed "there's a spider in my room, I was going to ask Pierre to take it out for me" 

Amélie chuckled, how ironic, but she could use the distraction. 

"Pierre's room is all the way downstairs, show me where she is" 

Esther's eyes jolted up "oh, alright" 

They walked in silence to Esther's bedroom, sure enough, the spider was still there. Amélie took it out with such ease that Esther even felt a bit jealous. When Amélie came back Esther was sitting in her bed moving her feet back and forth. 

"You can go back to sleep now" Amélie was about to leave, but... 

"Don't you wanna stay? Tell me what happened? I don't really feel like sleeping" Esther was looking at her with those big hopeful eyes, how could she say no? But more important, how could Esther read her so well by now? 

Amélie pondered the idea for some seconds, but eventually gave in. Truth be told, she could use a little company too. 

Esther moved to sit against the headboard and Amélie followed, sitting beside her, leaving a gap between them.

"So what happened? What made you wake up and wander the house at this hour?" Esther asked, never taking her eyes off of Amélie. 

Amélie took some seconds to answer, she took a breath and looked at Esther. 

"I had a dream, about something that happened in the past. Needed some air"

"A nightmare?"

Amélie just looked away, she must look like a child right now. She was already contemplating leaving the room. 

"It's okay to have nightmares you know. It doesn't make you less strong, it just makes you human" Esther smiled a little even though Amélie wasn't looking at her. 

"And it's also okay to ask for help sometimes" 

To be honest, Esther missed her, her room felt awfully lonely tonight. Maybe Amélie felt the same. So Esther extended her hand between them, a silent question. A small 'do you want help?' Without using words at all. 

Amélie saw the hand extended to her, and looked up at Esther then back to the hand. What did she have to lose? She slowly raised her own hand, and lightly took Esther's hand in hers. It felt so soft, so right. 

Esther smiled to her "sometimes company can help to chase the nightmares away, you can stay if you want" 

Rain and thunder were still pouring outside, but both of them were suddenly in their own world again. 

It was dangerous, Amélie thought. It was dangerous to stay and start to feel more. If she stayed she knew that she wouldn’t be able to back out, she wouldn’t be able to just ignore the need to be closer and closer to this girl. But right now it felt so right to let her walls down and just stay. To accept help. To, for once, follow her heart. 

So she stayed. 

Amélie nodded to Esther, and they lay down together, with a small gap between them. 

"You can wake me if you need anything" Esther said in a soft voice. 

Amélie smiled "you too chérie" 

There was a little strand of hair covering one of Esther's eyes. Amélie couldn't resist the urge to put it behind her ear. She let her hand rest on Esther's cheek for just a moment too long before pulling it back. 

"Goodnight"

Esther was glad that it was dark in her room because she was probably blushing madly. 

"Goodnight"

Amélie slept pretty quick, no more nightmares hunted her tonight. 

Esther slept soon after, but not before she took a moment to observe Amélie’s sleeping form. She looked so serene, so calm. 

It felt right, for her to be there.


	7. Old fears return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, Happy new year ♥  
> I'd say this chapter is a bit different, with time going a bit faster, but I think it's good? Let me know  
> btw I myself even felt a bit sad while writing it :P

The cold morning wind that was coming from the window was what woke Amélie up, she slowly opened her eyes to see a little bit of sunlight passing through the curtains. She felt very rested, it was the first night of peaceful sleep she'd had in a while. She turned her sleepy gaze to the side and saw that Esther was still sleeping, her breathing was even, a bit of clarity from the sun was hitting her face and she looked beautiful. Amélie concluded that she very much enjoyed waking up beside this girl. 

But she had to go, Amélie knew that she crossed a line last night, for as good as it was to be here, it wasn't supposed to be like this. She had to leave, so she got up and out of the room as quietly as ever. 

Not much after that Esther woke up too, bright sun in her face.  
"Ow, oh geez. Too bright" she mumbled and hid under the covers. But she soon realized that she was alone again. She extended a hand to where Amélie was just laying down and sighed. 

"Why do you always have to run?"

* * *

Amélie was walking through her library still on her pajamas, she came here looking for her laptop, but her mind was already wandering far from here. Until she heard her phone ring. It was unusual, people rarely called her here. 

But nonetheless, she picked it up. 

"Bonjour" 

"Hello Lacroix" Moira's voice at the other end of the line sent a chill down Amélie's spine. She was the last person Amélie wanted to talk to, ever. 

"Why do you call?" she tried to keep her voice neutral, void of any emotion. 

Moira chuckled "well, straight to the point then" 

Amélie could practically feel that Moira was smirking. 

"Last night I couldn't help but overhear Sombra talking to her new friend, I heard some very interesting things. Tell me, Lacroix, how are you feeling?" 

Amélie stiffened, but she closed her eyes and kept her voice still.   
"The same as ever" 

"Is that so? I'm glad" Moira's voice suddenly became more serious. 

"Although I must remind you. You are a valuable weapon to us Lacroix, and we can't allow anything to get in the way of that. I know you understand me." and with that, Moira ended the call. 

Amélie was frozen in place, with the phone still in her ear, taking rapid breaths in and out. Fear, it had been a while since she last experienced this feeling. She was shaking, her lip slightly quivering. Did Moira threaten Esther? Would she hurt her? And worst of all, was she capable of making Amélie hurt her? It's possible, it happened once. 

"No, no, no. Not again" Amélie whispered to herself, with her hands on her face. Trying and failing to calm her rapid breathing, she was almost panicking. Her eyes were starting to water, she wouldn't be able to bear if this happened again, if she was forced to hurt Esther, she wouldn't be able to forgive herself. Not again. She couldn't risk it, she knew it was a mistake and still let Esther in. And now the girl might be in danger, and it's all her fault. No, she wouldn't let it happen, all she had to do was keep her distance from Esther and everything would be alright, hopefully. Everything except her heart, but this wasn’t important right now. 

Amélie was so deep in despair that she almost didn't hear the soft steps coming towards her. 

"Hey, there you are, I looked all over for you. Everything okay?" said a sleepy voice. Esther slowly entered the room, rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn. 

Amélie looked at her with a mix of sadness and longing. Esther's voice was so soft it made Amélie's heart shatter all over again in a million pieces, knowing she would have to pull herself away from her. 

When Amélie didn’t answer Esther looked up at her, she furrowed her brows.   
"Are you oka-"

"I have to go" Amélie turned and fled the room as fast as she could, silent tears running down her face. The feeling of loneliness and the fact that she was nothing but a weapon slowly returned. 

Esther stayed in the middle of the huge library by herself, a confused expression on her face.   
"What?" she mumbled to herself. 

* * *

For one week Esther barely saw Amélie, and she didn't have a clue as to why. She kept wondering why Amélie was avoiding her. Did she do something wrong? Was Amélie mad at her? 

For the rare times that she did see Amélie on the house, she was either met with a cold shoulder whenever she tried to talk to her or total ignorance. Esther would be lying if she said that all of this didn’t hurt, because it did. Especially because she didn't know why all of this was happening, Amélie didn't even bother to give her an explanation. And Esther was starting to get mad, it wasn't fair. It really seemed like they were making progress, that Amélie was starting to get comfortable around her. And Esther, well, it was pretty obvious that she started to develop feelings for the sniper. And it hurt because it seemed like Amélie didn't give a damn about how all of this affected Esther. 

Amélie, on the other hand, was trying her best to keep her distance. But when she saw Esther with those big sad eyes, begging for information, she could barely contain her need to just hug the girl in front of her and forget about the world. Because she missed the spark of happiness that Esther brought to her, she missed the feeling of meaning more to someone than just a weapon. But she couldn't, after all, she wasn’t supposed to feel. 

One day though, Esther had enough. She managed to unlock Amélie's door with a paperclip and get in. She was met with a very surprised look from the sniper who was just getting out of the shower. Her hair was wet and she was wearing a pajama with an Eiffel Tower on it. Esther would probably be blushing if the circumstances weren't so bad, because Amélie looked gorgeous.

Esther gulped and let out a breath "I'm sorry" her voice was low  
"But you're not talking to me like a normal person, and I want an explanation"

Amélie was suddenly very anxious, she wasn't expecting Esther to do this, so she hadn't prepared herself, her heart, for this type of confrontation. But she kept her face unfazed. 

"There is no explanation to be done chérie"

Esther scoffed "bullshit, out of nowhere you start to treat me like a total stranger right when I thought we were... Friends" Esther's voice was a little harsh but it was just to hide the emotion behind it. 

She tried to take a step towards Amélie but stopped as soon as Amélie started talking. 

"We are nothing as such" her face was cold, no emotion.

Esther felt a pang in her chest, she could only whisper a quiet "what?" 

Amélie gulped and sucked in a breath "you are nothing but a guest here. Get out" 

Amélie turned her back to Esther, she couldn't bear to see the look of anguish on her face. 

A single tear ran down Esther's face. 

"you really don't have any emotions do you?" was all she managed to choke out before turning and rushing out the door. 

Esther slept with tears in her eyes that night. 

Amélie couldn’t even sleep, it hurt her deeply to be like this. She hadn’t realized how much Esther's presence made her feel good until she didn't have it anymore. And she missed the girl, so deeply. She missed the comfort, the little touches that she didn't know she was so desperately in need of, the conversations, she missed all of it. But she just couldn't risk having the worst thing that happened in her life repeat itself.

So she closed her eyes, held the memories safe in her heart and buried her need to be close to the girl who was just some meters away. 

* * *

Two days went by that they didn't see each other. 

Esther was often in a bad mood, quiet and usually all day with her head buried in her sketchbook. Truth be told, she was sad and just, confused. 

Amélie barely left her room, too scared that she would bump into Esther and see the disgust in her eyes. She received a call though, a new mission. Nothing big, it was simple but still risky. And the worst part is that she would have to go back to Talon later, it was the monthly reunion that she hated guts. 

She left early the next morning, without any goodbyes. It had been three days since she last saw Esther, but she always asked Pierre about the girl, she had to make sure Esther was still alright, even though right now she probably hates Amélie.

Esther was currently sitting on a window in one of the highest floors, it was probably dangerous but she couldn't care less, and the view was just amazing. The wind was blowing her hair in all directions, she had woken up early to see the beautiful sunrise. 

Looking at the bright orange-ish morning sky, she softly whispered "what do I do mom? You always had an answer to my dramatic problems. What do I do now that she's..." Esther took a deep breath. 

"... I don't even know. But it hurts" she clutched her necklace in her hand. The sky was so beautiful it almost looked like it was a painted canvas, it made her smile, but it was a sad smile. 

But a movement on the ground way below caught her attention, Esther looked down and saw Amélie walking on the yard, with her uniform on and carrying her rifle, she was heading to a small boat. She watched the sniper with curious eyes until she got on the boat and disappeared heading to the city. 

She tried her best to ignore the worry and slight curiosity to know where Amélie was headed, but she had an idea already. She succeeded in ignoring for a few minutes but eventually got out of the window and ran downstairs to find Pierre, he probably knew what was going on. 

The girl eventually found him in one of the rooms that were still being painted, he was organizing some boxes there. 

"Hey, Pierre um- do you happen to know where Amélie went?" 

The butler looked up at Esther and said with a kind voice "hello miss Makenzye, Lady Lacroix went out to work. She should be back tonight" 

"Thank you... Do you want help organizing the room here?" Esther deeply needed a distraction, to take her mind out of the worry and the many 'what ifs' that were already making their way through her mind. 

"If you wish my lady. The help would be appreciated" he said with a smile. 

They spent all morning organizing the room, removing things out of the boxes and painting the walls with a light shade of blue. Esther had fun and it was a good way to keep her mind at ease for at least a few hours. 

When it was time for lunch and Pierre came to serve the food, Esther kindly asked for Pierre to sit and eat with her. He happily obliged, they chatted and Esther ended up learning the story of this huge house. She learned that for hundreds of years, this was the estate of the influential Guillard family, until it gradually fell into disrepair after the family’s power waned in the decades after the French Revolution, and just recently Amélie bought back her family’s ancestral home. 

This new piece of information made Esther wander the house all over again and pay attention to its details, this castle looking house was ancient and still stood so perfect and beautiful. It really suited Amélie.

When the sun started to set, Esther couldn't help but wait for Amélie to arrive. What if she was hurt again? Or worse? Her wounds weren’t even healed yet. Esther took a deep breath and braced herself on the fence at the yard, looking at the sun setting beyond the ocean. She was still hurt and mad at Amélie, but Esther could only hope she was okay.


	8. Hope

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey fellas  
> A beautiful song was what inspired me to write this chapter and the next one to come, I really recommend you to listen to it, because I think the lyrics fit this story. The song is Hope by Nathan Wagner. ♥
> 
> Just a quick note, I think it's very clear by now that the main focus of the story is to explore Amélie's feelings and traumas of the past and fix it with lots of love and comfort. Although I'm always trying my best to keep her in character as much as possible, taking into account my interpretation of her origin story that I explained in chapter 5.
> 
> Also, Sombra is a good friend. ♥

fortunately, Amélie was able to finish her mission without any trouble. Besides the fact that she moved too harshly and ended up hurting her old wounds again, she was fine, limping a little, but fine. Right now she was heading to Talon, and she didn't look forward to it at all. 

When she arrived Reaper was the first to talk to her. 

"Widowmaker, how is Esther? Anything I should know?"

"The girl is fine, nothing to worry about" Amélie answered him with a neutral voice. 

He nodded and left. 

Moira passed by Amélie and gave her a weird side glance. Amélie felt like she was one of Moira's bunnies being observed in the lab. 

The meeting itself was boring if Amélie was being honest, nothing that they talked about was worth remembering. But when it was over and Amélie was preparing to leave, Sombra dragged her to the side so they could speak in private. 

"I have a bone to pick with you, spider" Sombra crossed her arms. 

Amélie sighed, sometimes Sombra was just too much of an annoyance, and right now, Amélie wasn't in a good mood. 

"Be quick so I can get out of here" 

Sombra huffed "listen, I know you're not that much of a touchy-feely person. But last night I talked to Esther, and she is hurt, bad, and it seems like you are the cause. So spit it out, what did you do?" 

Sombra's tone wasn't angry, far from that, she sounded more like she was teasing. 

But Amélie’s eyes drifted to the ground. 

"That is none of your concern" 

"That's where you're wrong. Esther is my friend, and even though I know you're not the sweetest thing, I also know you have a soft spot for the girl. Come on, maybe I can help" Sombra grabbed Amélie’s arm as if to urge her to talk. 

Amélie knew that the hacker wouldn't let her live in peace if she didn't tell her what was happening, so she gave in.

"Moira threatened her. I had to back off, otherwise who knows what might happen" Amélie had a sad look on her face, one that Sombra had never seen before. 

"That lanky bitch, how dare she?" Sombra locked eyes with Amélie. 

"but also, you stupid girl" she chuckled. 

"What?" Amélie narrowed her eyes. 

"Do you really think that Reaper would let anyone lay a finger on that girl? Wake up araña, Moira only wants to control you. you can't let her" 

Amélie gave Sombra a doubting look, she couldn’t risk it. 

But Sombra suddenly became more serious "even if she wanted to try something, she wouldn’t get the chance. You live so far away that before she even thinks to get there we would be on her, neither I nor Reaper would ever let her hurt you or Esther. You're safe" 

Sombra smiled to her friend "I know you fear, Amélie. I know what happened in the past, but things are different now. You can let yourself have this, for once. Besides, Esther is hurting and confused, you owe her an explanation"

Suddenly Amélie was very much aware of her mistake. She let fear and trauma take over and didn't think straight, now, Esther may never forgive her. 

"What... What do I do?" 

"Apologize your ass off" Sombra said as a matter of fact and chuckled. 

"Also, tell her everything"

Amélie looked down and closed her eyes, she really hoped that she didn't screw things up for good. 

She smiled at Sombra, a genuine smile. 

"Thank you, friend"

Sombra smiled back "don't mention it. Now go and make things right for once"

* * *

It was late at night and raining hard when Amélie arrived back at home, she cursed Talon for not having any umbrellas at the jet. Her front door wasn't that far, but she wasn't able to walk too fast because of her healing wounds that still hurt. So she ended up getting a bit wet on the way inside, but that was the least of her worries. She was worried that Esther might not forgive her. She feared that from now on, the only thing she would see in the girl's eyes was hatred, and truth be told, Amélie didn't know if she could bear that either. 

Esther was fixing herself a good cup of tea when she heard the front door open, which means Amélie was probably home. She was contemplating whether to go see Amélie or not, hell she didn't even know if her presence would be appreciated at this point. But curiosity got the best of her, so she put the rest of the tea aside and went to the main room. 

As Amélie got inside the first thing she did was put aside her rifle and take off her visor. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath to calm her nerves. When Amélie opened her eyes again, she saw Esther there, at the other end of the room. Her body suddenly became very still, she just hovered there for a bit, unsure of what to do. She was analyzing Esther's face though, searching for any signs of hate or anger, but she only found confusion and a tint of sadness. 

Esther looked Amélie up and down, she wasn't more wounded, which was good. But her posture was different, more stiffen. And her face held a look of sorrow and tiredness, this was probably what made Esther take slow steps towards Amélie.

The girl walked like she was approaching a wild cat, a serious expression on her face because if Amélie wanted to be cold with her, she would do the same. She stopped at a good distance away from Amélie. 

But Amélie hated this, all of this. The seriousness on Esther's face, this distance between them. It seemed like whatever they had before was lost, and it was all her fault. 

_What else did she have to lose?_

Esther sighed "won't send me away? Or maybe just pass by like I'm not even here?" 

She looked down, then back up at Amélie and whispered "I'm glad you're okay"

At that moment, for once, Amélie just let her emotions show on her face. No masks, no hiding, no ignoring, just honesty. 

A single tear ran down her face and she said a quiet "I'm sorry, chérie" 

More tears flooded her eyes "I'm so sorry"

Esther was at a loss of what to do. Amélie’s never been like this before, not even the night she showed up all bruised. Esther wanted to say something, but she didn't know what, so she just stayed there gaping. 

Amélie’s expression was desperate, lip quivering and eyes pleading for a sign that they were fine, that she hadn't lost the only good thing she found after so long. She was finally letting out years of suppressed emotions and feelings. And it was overwhelming, to allow herself to fell all the pain, the fear and the trauma of everything that happened in the past. 

Overwhelming to the point that Amélie took the few steps to close the distance between her and Esther. 

Esther's breath hitched, Amélie was so close that she could feel her hot and rapid breathing. Those glassy yellow eyes were looking at her with such want that Esther was frozen in place. 

With the most gentle of moves, Amélie closed her eyes forcing some tears to drop and leaned her head against Esther's shoulder. She clenched her hands that were resting agonizingly beside her body. Their bodies were barely touching. But the very presence of Esther beside her was enough to calm her inner turmoil, even if just a little.

Amélie was asking a silent plea, Esther noticed. _Please, aid me?_

Esther soon realized that Amélie hadn't been fine for a very long time. And despite everything that happened last week, her heart still hurt to see Amélie so broken. She let out a breath and slowly raised her hands. fingertips lightly touching Amélie’s lower back, the exposed skin there that was a little wet and cold from the rain, and up to her shoulder blades were Esther knew her tattoo was. With a soft grip, she pulled Amélie closer, embracing, letting their bodies touch fully. Just for a moment, she wanted to be able to take Amélie's pain to herself, to give her some peace, but she could only hope this was enough.

Soon after Amélie hugged her back at full force, only now realizing how touch-starved she had been all this time. Amélie let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding, it was suddenly a lot easier to breathe. She just wanted to stay like this forever and melt in the warm hands of this girl. She tilted her head and nuzzled in the crook of Esther's neck, not at all caring about how she looked like right now. She gripped Esther just a little bit stronger, just to make sure that she was real, that she was there. 

They stood there for some minutes, with Esther drawing slow patterns on Amélie’s back. And Amélie reliving in the feeling of comfort, of a warm and gentle touch. Soft sobs would occasionally shake Amélie's body, and if Esther would tighten her grip on the woman in her arms because of it, neither of them would mention.

But then, much too soon for Amélie’s liking, Esther cleared her throat and broke the hug. 

Esther took a small step back and gulped "why don't you, um- take a shower and change clothes? And then... we can talk" she stuttered. 

She looked at Amélie, really looked, and she seemed small. Her hair was a little messed up, her eyes were red and puffy, her usually confident posture was down and tired, and her breathing was still a bit rushed. 

Amélie suddenly became very aware of her pathetic and vulnerable state. She looked down, anywhere but Esther's eyes and nodded. 

"I... Okay" 

But she didn't move, what if this was goodbye? What if Esther hadn't forgiven her at all? 

"I'm not mad" Esther's voice made Amélie look up at her. 

"I just want to talk, that's all" but she was still serious, still distant. It hurt, but Amélie took a deep breath and adjusted her posture. She would probably be in for a long night of explanation and automatically remembering some of her worst memories. So a shower would be good. 

"We can talk in my room if you want, I'll be quick" Amélie's voice was a little strained, a little too pleading. 

Esther took a deep breath "yeah, I'll be right there" 

This was just too complicated for Esther's taste, however, she wouldn't leave until Amélie gave her a full explanation of what happened last week.

Amélie wanted to say more, she felt like she should say more. All of this just seemed too numb, too empty, even for her. But she didn't have the courage, right now, probably the slightest rejection could put her on the verge of tears all over again. Sometimes feeling seemed a lot harder than not feeling. 

So Amélie took that as her cue to leave. Turning a bit too harshly, what caused her to limp her way back to her room. 

This didn't go unnoticed by Esther. 


	9. Midnight confessions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hope you enjoy this chapter. ♥  
> The next update might take a little extra days to come because I'll be traveling tomorrow. But as soon as I get back I'll be publishing it. :D

The hot water of the shower was a contrast to how cold Amélie’s skin was. Her shower was quick but it did relieve her of some stress. She dressed in black sweat pants and a black tank top, it was comfortable but her body was still tense. Her long hair stayed loose and still wet, she was just too tired to dry it completely. 

When Amélie got out she saw Esther sitting on her bed, looking out the balcony doors to the black night sky. The moon and stars where barely visible today, covered by pitch-black clouds of rain. 

When Esther heard the bathroom door open she turned her head to look at Amélie. She looked beautiful, so different without her uniform and little bloodstains covering it. 

Esther gave her the tiniest of smiles and patted the space next to her on the bed for Amélie to sit down. 

As Amélie sat down she couldn’t help but wince a little at the pain in her abdomen. 

Esther noticed that. "did you hurt your old wounds?" 

"Only a little. Nothing to worry about, chérie" 

Amélie didn't sound like herself, she was less confident, less intimidating. But nonetheless, Esther bowed her head and just nodded. 

They stayed silent for some minutes, with a distance between them that felt unbearable for Amélie. A distance that went beyond just physical. 

So she opened her mouth to finally try and speak "about... Last week, I'm sorry... For how I acted" 

That was probably the most unsure Amélie ever sounded like in her entire life. And she hated it. 

"You already said that" Esther kept her eyes focused outside. Away from Amélie. 

"Tell me something I don't know" 

For some reason, Amélie really didn't want to. For some reason, she wanted to shield Esther from all the bad that already happened. But she couldn't, not anymore. 

So Amélie took a deep breath and clutched her hands together. 

"A long time ago, I had a very different life from the one I have today" Amélie started. She tried to keep her tone neutral, but it was slowly breaking. 

Her sweet voice made Esther finally look at her. 

"It was a good life, but it was taken away from me. The ones that stole my life also changed me. A weapon. They turned me into a weapon" just barely Amélie's eyes were starting to water. 

Esther had her full attention on the woman beside her now. 

"After... After their changes in my body. They forced me to kill a person very dear to me. They said that emotions were weakness, and I shouldn't be weak" Amélie looked down at her hands, the hands of a killer. She didn't deserve this, she didn't deserve any comprehension or love, not anymore. 

But she continued to talk because Esther deserved the truth. 

"I tried to fight, for a while. But then, why would I? So I've been their weapon for the last years. No emotion, no questions, just..." Amélie's vision was blurred by unshed tears. Her hands now were shaking but she clenched her fists. She deserves the pain. 

But apparently Esther thinks different, because she felt warm steady hands close around her shaky ones. 

"That's not what I see. You're just a person that went through something no one ever should. And you're so brave because you're still here and I know you're still good" 

Amélie's lower lip was quivering and she had trouble speaking, but she pushed the words out. 

"So- some days ago I got a call. From one of the scientists and she... She told me that she wouldn't allow anything or anyone to compromise me, and I couldn't risk it because you make me... You..." The words rushed out of her so fast that Amélie's mouth just hovered open for a bit, but then she continued a little slower. 

"It seemed like a threat. I couldn't risk happening the same thing. I was... Scared that she could make me hurt you and I- I wouldn't be able to bear it. Not again" 

She looked at Esther with those glassy eyes and a sad expression. 

"But I acted without thinking and I am so sorry for how I treated you. You didn't deserve it but I just couldn't risk it I'm sorry chérie" her last sentence was just a whisper covered with little sobs but Esther heard anyway. 

After some three seconds digesting all the information, Esther finally was able to move and envelop Amélie in a tight hug. 

"It's okay, I get it. I forgive you. I'll always be here for you darling" Esther buried one hand in Amélie's soft hair, slowly caressing her scalp. 

Amélie let out a shaky breath of relief, hugging Esther back just as tight. Her tears finally making their way down her cheeks. 

Esther held Amélie until she calmed down. When her breathing was slightly more even, Esther slowly pulled back just to look at her face. She put some messy strands of hair that were in front of Amélie’s face behind her ear. 

Amélie’s eyes were wide and uncertain. She soon looked down but Esther cupped her cheeks and cleaned the tear stains with her thumbs, softly urging Amélie to look back up at her. 

"Hey, it's alright. This doesn't make you less strong, I'm really glad you talked to me" Esther smiled to the woman in front of her. The smile held trust, comprehension, love and even admiration, it made Amélie’s heart beat faster. 

"I can't imagine how difficult this was for you. The ones that did all of this to you, they are the evil ones Amélie, not you, okay? And I'm so sorry you had to go through all of this alone. I wish I could take it all away" Esther took hold of one of Amélie’s hands and played with her purplish fingertips.

"But for what's worth, I'm always gonna be here for you from now on" 

"It's... More than I could ever ask for, Mon amour" Amélie’s voice was a little hoarse but so sincere and soft it made Esther's heart melt. 

"Just um- was my uncle involved in any of this?" Esther didn't want to bother Amélie with lots of questions, at least not now. But this she had to know because if he was, she probably would never look him in the face again. 

"Not that I know of. At least not on my case" Amélie gave her a tiny smile. 

Esther let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding. "Good" 

She shook her head as if to get back to the important matter and gave Amélie’s hand a light squeeze. 

"You look really tired, why don't you rest a little? We can talk more in the morning" Amélie was very tired, yes. But the last thing she wanted right now was for Esther to leave. All those days so far away from each other had been too much already. It was weird, but she wanted the proximity, the constant reminder that Esther was there and she wasn't alone anymore. 

Esther moved to stand up but was stopped with a shaky hand grabbing her wrist. 

"Please..." Was all that Amélie managed to whisper, but her pleading look said plenty already. Luckily, Esther understood. 

"Or... I can stay if you want" Amélie slowly nodded and Esther sat back down. 

The girl took a deep breath. 

"Um- we should lay down then, you need to rest" Esther shyly said, looking at Amélie. Her eyes were red, both from crying and from tiredness, her posture was slumped and her mind could really use a break too. 

And with that, they laid down side by side in Amélie’s huge bed. Some minutes of silence passed until Amélie turned to look at Esther and spoke again. 

"Are we... Good?" She was slightly grabbing her pillow. 

Esther chuckled "yeah, we're good" 

Soon after Amélie’s heavy eyes finally closed and she drifted into a much-needed sleep. 

* * *

Esther woke up in the middle of the night at the sound of soft whimpers coming from beside her. At first, she didn't think much of it and tried to go back to sleep. But then they came back even more desperate. She opened her eyes and turned to Amélie’s side. 

Amélie was sweating a little, her body wasn't relaxed and her brows were furrowed. A tiny tear escaped one of her eyes and Esther soon realized that she was having a nightmare again. Esther considered waking her up, but sometimes sleeping again after a nightmare can be very difficult and Amélie really needed to rest. 

So Esther decided to make a bold move, she wasn't sure if it was going to work, but it was worth trying. She carefully reached a hand under Amélie’s back and the other above her torso and hugged her close. Esther planted a light kiss above Amélie’s shoulder where her tattoo ended and whispered soft words in her ear. 

"It's okay, you're okay. I'm here. It's over now" 

After a while, Amélie’s whimpers ceased and she was sleeping peacefully again. But Esther didn't let go, on the contrary, she tightened her grip on the sniper just slightly. Making herself comfortable and nuzzling her head at the back of Amélie’s neck. She smelled nice, her skin was soft and a little cold, it soothed Esther. 

She concluded that she wished to sleep like this every day. 

When Esther woke up the next morning she felt an unusual weight in her arms and something holding her waist. She was confused because Amélie was probably gone by now, like always right? 

But when she opened her eyes she was very surprised. Amélie was lying with her body half on Esther, she had turned so she could hold Esther's waist in a soft but strong grip and her head was safely tucked under Esther's chin. 

_She stayed._


	10. Tenderness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello fellas, I know this chapter is a bit smaller than usual, but I felt like it needed to end where it did.  
> The next chapter should be out soon. ♥

Esther wasn't sure about what to do now. Amélie stayed, for the first time she didn't run away after they shared... A moment. And Esther was at a bit of a loss. 

She looked at the woman lying beside her, she looked peaceful, her face was clear of trouble and her breathing was calm. Esther smiled, she tightened her grip on Amélie just a little and buried her nose in her soft and long hair. 

While Esther was waiting for Amélie to wake up, she was thinking about their conversation from last night. She still couldn’t believe there were such bad people in the world, her heart ached for everything that Amélie had to go through. 

Esther sighed and planted a light kiss in Amélie’s forehead.

Eventually, Amélie woke up. Before she even opened her eyes, she felt a light touch tracing slow patterns in her arm, she also felt soft breathing in her hair and then she felt that she was holding something, something warm and comfortable. When Amélie opened her eyes she was greeted with a little sunlight in her face, she squinted waiting for her eyes to adjust, and then she realized that she wasn't holding something, she was holding someone. Her body was glued to Esther and she was holding the girl's waist the stronger her sleepy self could muster. 

Amélie’s breath suddenly hitched and she tried to pull away, but a firm grip didn't let her. 

"Hey, it's alright" Esther said with a smile and Amélie reluctantly looked up at her. 

"You don't have to stay. But you can, if you want to" Esther whispered to her, putting some strands of her dark blue hair back in place. 

Amélie took her time but eventually, her body relaxed again. Esther still had her arms around her and just now Amélie noticed that her arms too were still on the girl's waist. It was strange, but it felt nice. 

Esther makes Amélie nervous, she isn't used to it. She involuntarily gripped at Esther's shirt trying to ground herself. She felt like a stupid teenager because she was never like this. But she couldn’t help it. 

"How are you feeling?" Esther asked slowly coming closer. 

"Fine. Better" this time Amélie was actually telling the truth. She felt calm, rested, comfortable and even happy. But then Esther smiled and those butterflies on her stomach came back. Amélie had fallen for this girl, it was true and she couldn’t run from it anymore, even though it hurt because Esther would never feel the same, right? 

"I'm glad" Esther smiled to her. She brought a reluctant hand up to Amélie’s cheek and raised her head to place a loving kiss on her forehead. An act of love, just because Amélie deserved it. 

But Amélie’s eyes closed the moment she felt that hand on her cheek. She was lost in the moment, caught up in the most powerful spell. She felt dazed, hypnotized. When she locked eyes with Esther again she wasn't able to form words. 

Esther chuckled "it's still early. We can stay here a little longer if you want" 

Amélie could just nod at that. Esther seemed to sense her confusion because she lifted her arm and murmured a small "come here"

And Amélie did, she didn't think it was possible for her to reject such a sweet offer. She nuzzled her way back to Esther, her head returning to its rightful place under the other girl's chin. Then Esther embraced her again and Amélie couldn't help but close her eyes and let out a sigh, because it felt like all her broken pieces were back together. 

Esther had a goofy smile on her face, she was just so glad that Amélie was finally letting her walls down, fully. She was happy to just be able to have this quiet moment and allow Amélie to relax and feel safe. 

So they stayed like that for some minutes. Amélie wasn't sure if this was the right thing to do, but it also hurt to stay away. Truth be told, she was confused. 

Eventually, Esther broke the silence "you know, I wonder if I will ever see you dance" 

"Dance?" Amélie whispered back. 

"Yeah, you told me you used to dance and it looked like you really enjoyed it" 

"I did, but... I'm not made for that anymore" Amélie’s breath on her neck made Esther shiver. 

"Why not?" Esther was slowly running her fingers through Amélie’s hair, it was so soft. She wondered if she would ever be able to share a moment like this with Amélie again if she would ever allow her to. 

Amélie didn't exactly know the answer to that, also Esther's touches were a good distraction. She wasn't used to that, to someone being with her just because they care. She wasn't used to all these soft touches and sweet nothings, so she kept her body mostly still, afraid to scare it all away, just occasionally squeezing Esther to make sure she was still real. 

"Did they told you not to?" Esther's soft voice made Amélie open her eyes. In a way they did, the dance was a part of her past life, and she was supposed to forget it. 

"I don't know... I don't- I don't feel like I'm supposed to do it anymore" 

"Well, I think you should. Because if you really love something, it means it's the right thing to do" Esther smiled. 

Amélie furrowed her brows to that. 

"Really?" She lifted her head to look up at Esther. 

"Yeah" 

She analyzed Esther for some seconds, searching for any signs that would tell her that this isn't real or that Esther maybe didn't want to be there. But the only thing that Amélie found was the ghost of a smile and a soft expression of understanding, care, happiness and if she squinted, maybe love. Her eyes suddenly traveled down to Esther's lips, and she felt like she was being pulled closer by some kind of invisible force. She slowly moved her head towards the girl in front of her. Amélie stopped just an inch away from Esther, their noses were slightly touching. 

Esther's breath hitched, her face held a confused and anxious expression. Her mouth parted and she waited for Amélie to do something, anything. 

Amélie felt overwhelmed, her body was suddenly moving on its own. She slowly closed her eyes and her trembling lips finally met Esther's in a light kiss. It was soft, just a light touch of lips, but it was enough for Amélie to confirm her feelings. It was both scary and relieving. It was relieving because it made Amélie happy, it made her want to live more, to feel everything again. And it was scary because, well, because of everything else, especially, were these feelings even returned? She couldn’t know. 

The kiss barely lasted three seconds before Amélie abruptly pulled away. She had trouble breathing and her eyes were starting to water. 

"I'm... Sorry" was all she whispered before turning and getting up from the bed. 

Esther stayed laying there, her eyes wide and a hand touching her lips. Not quite believing what just happened.


	11. Magic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is the cutest of them all, but I still love it with all my heart hahah.  
> Also, Amélie is an anxious mess.  
> Also, I didn't know what title to give, so... yeah.

Amélie wasn't running. 

She never ran from anything. 

She was just walking really fast to somewhere, anywhere. She needed to be alone. 

Eventually, she found one of the rooms that were still being reformed. She went to the balcony there and braced herself on the railing. Taking anxious breaths in and out. 

She closed her eyes and whispered "merde"

 _'How could I be so stupid?'_ Amélie thought to herself. _'How did I let myself get carried away like that?'_ Amélie couldn’t suppress the strained sob that escaped her and the silent tears that followed. She didn't know exactly if those tears were from anger, anxiousness or what. All she knew was that she was feeling too much right now. 

Way too much. 

She punched the railing to relieve some of the stress, bruising her hand in the process. But she couldn't care less. 

Esther, on the other hand, was still in bed processing what happened in the last few minutes. She sat up and bit her lip out of nervousness. _'She kissed me, she actually kissed me'_. 

The girl ran a hand through her hair, the only thing on her mind right now was how soft Amélie's lips felt. The kiss was chaste and fast but it was enough for Esther to want so much more. 

But that could wait because Esther didn't fail to notice the look of pure shock and the glimpse of tears in Amélie's face. She needed to clarify that this, them, was okay. 

So Esther got up from the bed and made her way outside looking for Amélie. After checking more rooms than she could care to count she finally found the sniper. 

Amélie was braced on the railings of the balcony, her hair was done in a loose ponytail and the sun was framing her figure just right, but her face was a turmoil of emotions. There was a cold breeze coming from the ocean that made Esther shiver a little. 

She slowly made her way to Amélie. 

And for the first time, Amélie failed to notice someone approaching her. 

Esther noticed that her breathing was fast and her shaking hands were gripping the railing the stronger she could. For some seconds Esther wondered why. Why Amélie was always like this, like all of this was new or completely forbidden. But soon it clicked to her, Amélie saw herself as a weapon, a killer, someone who is not supposed to be anything but an asset to get a job done. She is someone who suffered and was prohibited to feel anything for years. So of course, all of this is practically new for her and probably very scary. 

With a sympathetic smile, Esther took the last steps towards Amélie. She put a hand on the woman's forearm. 

"Hey" 

Amélie’s head snapped to Esther's direction and she gulped. "H-hi"

Esther was about to say something about their shared kiss, but her eyes soon landed on Amélie's slightly bruised hand and she decided to avoid the talk. For now. 

So instead, Esther decided to talk about the sky. She looked up and smiled. 

"I've always liked mornings, and they are even more beautiful here" 

She saw Amélie visibly relax, apparently she also wanted to avoid the talk. 

"They are, yes" 

"What do you say about a good breakfast?" 

Amélie nodded. Esther moved the hand that was on her forearm down to take the woman's hand and pull her inside. 

Amélie followed quietly, shyly enjoying the warm hand on hers. She didn't realize, but she was blushing a little. 

While they were having breakfast Esther talked, a lot. About her hometown, about her old job, about drawing technics and so on. 

And Amélie listened, she would say a word here and there, but she would mostly listen. She felt... Shy. Which was odd. And she also felt a little anxious about how close Esther was sitting. Her heart would speed it's pace whenever Esther touched her arm to emphasize whatever she was saying. But she also felt this urge to just... Touch her, and be close. 

It was weird and different. Something Amélie doesn't remember feeling before. 

* * *

After they ate Amélie finally had some time for herself. She went back to her room and as soon as she entered she realized how big and lonely it felt without the presence of someone else. 

Right now she was looking at her reflection in the mirror and the only thing going through her mind was _'I don't deserve a person like her'_. 

Amélie wanted to talk, to tell Esther that she made her feel things beyond anything she thought was possible. Tell her that she wanted nothing more than to taste those sweet lips again. Tell her to please make this room less lonely. 

But for the first time, she didn't have the courage. She felt... Anxious, scared even. Countless _'what ifs'_ were already making their way through her mind. 

Maybe it's for the best if things stop here. 

* * *

When the night came Esther was already tired of drawing a certain sniper. But she didn't regret filling her book with drawings of her. It was a way for Esther to explore every line of her face, every curve of her body. At least until she could do so with her own hands. 

Today Esther had a lot of time to think too. She was never someone to get in love with ease. Actually, she even had trouble trusting people at all, but with Amélie, as weird as it is, it was so much easier. Esther felt like she could be herself with Amélie, she felt like she could trust her with anything. Also, Amélie was such a sweet and loving person sometimes, not to mention beautiful. 

Esther didn't even realize, but she has been falling for Amélie for quite some time. 

Maybe Esther could try to talk to her now, or if not, just being beside her would be enough. 

Esther quietly made her way to Amélie’s room. When she reached her door she looked at it for some seconds before letting out a breath and knocking. 

She heard a quiet 'get in'. And so Esther did. 

As usual, Amélie was standing on her balcony, looking up. Esther made her way there too, stopping beside Amélie. Their arms were barely touching. When Esther looked up she couldn't suppress the small 'Woah' that left her mouth. 

The sky was clear of clouds, leaving all of its glory for stars to shine. So many stars. You could see all of them. It was really beautiful. 

They stood there in silence for a while. Just appreciating what nature had to offer.

"Oh look, there is the Orion constellation. I always liked that one" Esther said pointing up at the sky and Amélie smiled. 

It felt good, to be this casual with one another. It gave everything a sense of normalcy. 

After a while of counting constellations, Esther finally decided to try and talk. 

"About... This morning, you-"

"I'm sorry" Amélie’s quiet apology made Esther stop talking and turn her head to the woman. 

Amélie looked at Esther just to see her confused expression but soon looked down at her hands again. This was harder than she imagined. Her heart was beating quickly and she had trouble keeping her voice still. 

"I'm... Sorry. I-I shouldn't have... " Amélie shook her head slightly, she had trouble speaking at all. She was on the verge of panic but then a soft hand cupped her cheek. The warm touch made Amélie slowly look up and meet a lovely pair of eyes. 

"Why would you be sorry?" Esther smiled, bringing her other hand up to put a strand of Amélie's hair behind her ear. Making the woman slowly turn her body so they where fully facing one another. 

And yet again, Amélie felt hypnotized. Her mouth hung open, lips slightly trembling. 

"I... I shouldn't... " she whispered. 

"You just had the courage to do it first" Esther whispered back. Her eyes going from Amélie’s eyes to her lips. 

Amélie didn't know which one of them was moving closer. Probably both. But right now their foreheads were touching, her hands were loosely holding Esther's waist and she couldn’t think of a single reason to want it to stop. 

"I don't... Deserve this" Amélie’s voice was quiet, and when she shut her eyes a single tear escaped. 

Esther softly wiped it with her thumb. "You do. You deserve this, and so much more" 

She smiled and gingerly ran a thumb through Amélie’s lower lip, so soft. 

Amélie clutched the fabric of Esther's shirt. Her breath hitched and she moved forward just enough to make their noses touch. 

Esther had no trouble moving the rest of the way this time. And in a gentle movement, their lips met again. 

The kiss was soft, loving and caring. It was a way for Esther to express her feelings, to tell Amélie that this was okay. 

And this time Amélie eagerly responded, her hands on Esther's waist pulled the girl impossibly closer. Her trembling lips kissed back, yearning the touch and the comfort that it brought to her. They parted only to Amélie move her head to the other side, slightly bumping their noses in the process, and slam her lips to Esther's again. She hadn't realized how much she had been wanting to do that until now.

The kiss lasted until they were forced to part in need of air. Both of their breathings were heavy and they were still close in an embrace, neither wanting to let go. 

When Esther looked at Amélie, she smiled. Amélie's cheeks were flushed, her lips were swollen and her pupils dilated, she looked so beautiful. And Esther was probably not looking so different. Their foreheads touched again and Esther moved her hands above Amélie's shoulders, hugging her close. 

Their eyes were closed and they stayed there for a while, only enjoying the feeling of having each other. With only the stars to witness their love.


	12. Hold me now, for we can break apart anytime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this chapter was the hardest one to write so far, don't know why hahah  
> But I hope it's good ♥

Amélie woke up feeling a light hold on her waist. She slowly opened her eyes, letting them adjust to the light, and looked to the side. Esther was laying beside her, still deep in sleep, with her hand stretched above Amélie's waist. They didn't do anything much besides sleeping last night, both were respecting their time and were also content to just be laying beside one another. 

Amélie smiled, it felt easier to wake up like this. She gingerly traced her fingertips along Esther's cheek and up to her eyebrow. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful. But soon Amélie withdrew her hand and looked up at the ceiling, there was still danger. There were still risks. She wasn't supposed to be close to Esther but now they are closer than ever. Sombra told her there was nothing to worry about... But, what if? 

She sat up in the bed and rubbed her face, with her long hair falling over her shoulder. 

Just a moment after, Amélie felt warm hands hug her waist from behind. 

"Hmm it's early, give yourself a break at least now" said a very sleepy voice who soon squeezed Amélie and rested her head on the woman's back. 

Amélie's breath hitched with the sudden contact and she stayed still. 

Esther felt that and raised her head. Amélie was using a loose tank top which allowed Esther to see a good portion of the tattoo on her back. So the girl softly moved Amélie's hair out of the way and traced the lines of the tattoo with her fingers. Making Amélie slightly shiver. 

"What's bothering you?" Esther whispered after a while. 

"It's... It's nothing chérie"

Amélie slowly turned to face Esther and she was met with a kind smile. 

Esther raised her hand to move Amélie's hair out of her face, and let her hand linger on the woman's cheek. 

Amélie closed her eyes at the contact, then she felt a quick but lovely kiss on her lips. And it felt perfect. It felt right. 

"It doesn't sound like nothing" Esther said against her lips then moved away, waiting for Amélie to open her eyes. 

And slowly Amélie did. Giving Esther a look that she couldn't read. 

Amélie reluctantly raised her hand and placed it on Esther's cheek, tracing the corner of her mouth and memorizing the girl's face. Her sleepy gaze, her messy hair, everything. Amélie wanted to remember everything. 

They had time, so Esther stood still and silent. Waiting for when Amélie felt like talking. But meanwhile, she enjoyed the slightly cold hand on her cheek and the warm feeling on her chest that Amélie finally felt comfortable with touching her that way. Esther isn't sure of what they are now, of what kind of relationship this is. But right now she couldn't care less about labels, the only thing that matters is that they are here, now, together. 

She grabbed ahold of Amélie's other hand and played with her fingers, waiting. 

After a while of comfortable silence and soft touches, Amélie finally answered her in a low voice. 

"I don't want this to end" she squeezed Esther's hand and bit her lower lip to hold some tears away. 

"I don't want this to be taken away from me" 

"It won't" Esther noticed the water in Amélie's eyes and was quick to embrace her and lay both of them back down again. She held the woman as close to her body as she could muster. 

Amélie closed her eyes and grabbed Esther's waist returning the hug. She let out a breath. If anything were to take this away from her now, she didn't think she would be able to bear. Spending one day without this kind of touch would feel like torture. And to think that just some days ago she had no idea how much she needed it. 

_No. I won't allow anything to take this away from me._

She clutched Esther's shirt and intertwined their legs. Close, so close. 

Esther planted a light kiss at the top of her head. "Don't worry, we'll be alright" 

Amélie looked up at the girl. "At least let me teach you how to defend yourself"

"I know how to defend myself" Esther said proudly 

Amélie chuckled "no, you don't" 

Esther let out a tiny laugh as well "alright, you can teach me... After breakfast" 

Amélie smiled. Her eyes soon traveling down to Esther's necklace. "I've never seen you without it, why?" She asked in a soft voice. 

"My mother gave it to me. She said it's very special, that I should always keep it close to my heart" Esther gave her a sad smile. 

"It's the only thing I have left of her. But it comforts me sometimes" 

Amélie runs her fingertips over the shell. "It's beautiful" 

* * *

After they ate breakfast Amélie took Esther outside in the garden so she could at least teach her the basics. Because if something were to happen at least the girl would have a chance. 

Amélie was wearing black leggings, a white sweater, and sneakers because it was really chilly outside. She looked gorgeous and Esther already knew that it would be hard for her to focus. 

The girl, on the other hand, was wearing a black hoodie and black sweatpants. Nothing too fancy, but to Amélie, she looked cute. Everything about Esther seemed oddly cute. 

When they were in front of one another Amélie raised her hand. "Alright, I want you to punch here, don't hold back. Show me what you know" 

Esther thought for two seconds and then gave her the best punch, but Amélie didn't even move. 

"Your posture is all wrong chérie. Your punch is coming from the front and your legs are too close" 

Amélie showed Esther how she should move her hand and position her legs, just a little open and crouched. 

"This way you can focus your strength in your upper body. See?" She demonstrated the movement slowly. 

"Now hit me again" 

And Esther did. Indeed this time she even felt that the punch was a little more powerful. "Wow, you're amazing" 

Amélie chuckled. "Sometimes you can even move your hips to add more momentum to it" 

She placed her hands on Esther's hips and lightly turned her to demonstrate. 

Esther was suddenly very aware of their proximity. And the contrast of the cold wind coming from the ocean and Amélie's hot breath so close sent chills down her spine. She slowly looked up to the woman and booped their noses, coming closer, closer. 

"Focus, mon chou" Amélie whispered but didn't back off. 

"I am focused" Esther smiled against her lips, bringing her hands up to Amélie's face, softly caressing the hair at the nape of her neck. 

Amélie's head automatically came down to crash their lips together. Esther felt so warm compared to the cold weather. Amélie melted in her touch. Their lips moved in sync, in a slow and perfect rhythm like they were made for one another. She hugged Esther close, reliving in the warm feeling that spread to her chest. 

When the kiss ended Amélie gave Esther a quick peck on the cheek and embraced her, burying her face in the space between her neck and shoulder letting out a shaky breath. 

The sweet display of affection made Esther swoon. But it also made her a little sad. These last hours showed Esther how truly desperate for touch that Amélie really was. She has been grasping every opportunity to just have a hug or a kiss here and there. And of course, Esther was more than happy to give it to her, but it was still sad that Amélie was forced to get to this point. So she hugged her back and ran her hands through her hair. 

"You have been alone for a long time haven't you?" Esther whispered. 

The only response she got was a muffled sniff and Amélie tightening her grip on her. 

They stayed like that for a while. Every time Amélie thought about letting go, Esther's warm hands around her made it impossible. But eventually, she did. 

Stepping back she mumbled a quiet "sorry" 

"Don't be. I'm really glad you're opening up, and as I told you, I'll always be here for you" Esther smiled and brought her hand up to clear one last tear that escaped Amélie's eye.

The woman took a deep breath, cleared her throat and averted her eyes. Suddenly feeling shy. Sometimes she didn't understand why she always felt so overwhelmed with all of this. "Well, we're still not done with the training. Come on" 

After a couple more movements and stolen kisses in the middle, Esther was slowly learning the basics of self-defense.

At the moment they were sitting side by side in the railing, taking a break, until Esther broke the silence. 

"So... I never shot a gun, aaand you have a gun..." she said with a slightly animated voice and bit her lip. 

"I'm not sure if you're ready for that chérie" Amélie chuckled.

"Well, we'll never know unless we try right? Oh come on, I've always wanted to use a gun" 

Esther looked so adorable that Amélie eventually gave in. "Okay, but you have to be careful with the gun knockback"

"I will" Esther smiled widely.

"You wait here. I'll go get it" Amélie's gun usually stayed in the library, that's where all her Talon gear usually stayed. It was a place she didn't go much so she wasn't forced to look at it all the time. 

when Amélie was halfway to the library she heard what seemed to be a jet landing. That was odd because for what she knew Talon wasn't coming here. She went out to the garden and sure enough, there was a jet there, but it most definitely wasn't Talon's. 

When the jet's door opened three masked men with black armor exited it. 

Amélie's breath suddenly increased and she muttered "merde"

Her gear was all the way to the library and they were blocking her path, if she moved, they would see her. She was disarmed and worst of all, Esther was too. But luckily Amélie had her phone with her, she quickly texted Sombra a coded message that stated that she needed backup.

Just when she finished typing the man in the middle that seemed to be the one in command said in a strong voice "Bring me the girl"

Amélie felt her entire body froze. 


	13. Tears and blood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the short chapter, but I do love some thriller  
> Also, I'm not the best with writing "action" scenes, so go easy on me hahaha

Amélie's eyes were focused. She could hear her heartbeat. She was doing her best to keep her breathing under control. Quiet. 

_Why are they here? Why do they want her? What if they hurt her?_

Were the only things going through Amélie's mind. And the thought of these people putting their hands on Esther and doing anything to her made Amélie sick and full of anger. 

Eventually, the masked men split to search her house and she could finally move. With careful and silent steps. 

Amélie was trying to make her way to the library but ended up finding one of them on her way. He had his back to her and at that moment she thanked Talon for making her as deadly as they could. It was easy for her to just grab him from behind and snap his neck with a quick move. She had done this thousands of times before. One down, two more to go. 

But before she could do anything else, something hard hit the back of her head and she felt dizzy, her vision went a little blurry and she lost balance. But she refused to pass out. 

Amélie felt strong rough hands grabbing her arms, she already knew it would leave a bruise. Her body was slammed in a nearby wall and she let out a grunt of pain. Before she could react she received a punch directly in the face and could suddenly taste blood on her mouth. The same rough hands closed around her neck and brought her back to her feet. She had trouble breathing but still raised her head to look at the intruder. 

"You're a pesky one aren't you? Already giving us trouble" the man's voice was poison to Amélie's ears. 

"What... Do you want here?" Amélie managed to growl at him. 

The man chuckled "The girl. You see, she's valuable. We thought the mother was the one, but it was the kid all along" 

His hands on Amélie's neck were squeezing harder with each passing second and she was starting to see black dots on her vision. She was trying with all her strength to break free, but it was to no avail, he was much stronger than her. For a moment she thought that this was it, that her life would come to an end here. Her eyes were starting to water because, for the first time in a very long while, she cared. She really cared. She didn't want her life to end now. Not now that she just found a new reason to be alive. 

Amélie's ears hurt with the sound of a gunshot. And in the next second the man that was holding her neck fell to the ground. Dead. With a shot beneath his ear, not a perfect shot, but got the job done. Amélie had trouble standing in her own two feet at first, but when she got her balance back she turned her head to the direction that the bullet came, and her mouth hung open. 

Esther stood a few feet away. Holding Amélie's rifle. Shaking and with a panicked expression. 

Amélie never felt more relieved. She made her way to Esther with wobbly and fast steps. 

"I... I killed him" Esther whispered. Her stare was focused on the man's lifeless body on the ground. Amélie stepped in front of her line of vision and grabbed Esther's shoulders. Esther never killed anyone, it was understandable that she was in shock.

"Mon chou, look at me" Amélie urged her. 

"Breathe, okay? You saved me, you did the right thing" she tried to hide the panic in her own voice. The feeling of almost being strangled to death still too fresh. 

The rifle in Esther's hands was shaking, her hold was unsteady. Amélie slowly took it from her hands, trying to ease the burden. This made Esther's eyes slowly focus on Amélie. And she noticed her state. 

"You're... Hurt" the look of panic in Esther's eyes soon became one of pure worry. She brought her hand up to carefully caress Amélie's bruised cheek. 

Amélie closed her eyes at the touch, letting out a shaky breath. But she soon took Esther's hand in her own. "I'm fine chérie. Listen to me now, I don't know who these people are, but they are after you. I need you to get out of here and hide, I can't risk you staying in the open like this" 

"What?" Esther said between anxious breaths. "No... I won't leave you alone" 

"You already saved me and now thanks to you I'm not defenseless anymore. Please, I can't lose you" Amélie whispered the last part. But her pleading eyes convinced Esther eventually, and with one last look at Amélie, she ran inside and into the dark basement. She stood there, waiting. Afraid, for herself but mostly for Amélie, if something happened to her... Esther couldn't even think about it. 

* * *

The rifle stayed in Amélie’s hands with a firm and all too familiar grip. About five minutes had passed that she was looking for the last one of the intruders, and there was no sign of him. 

Esther was impatient, very impatient. Her hands were shaking and her breathing was uneasy. It had been too long, it felt like hours had passed but she knew it had been only a couple of minutes. And the dark basement was anything but comforting. 

"Okay, that's it" she just couldn't take it anymore. Staying here, doing nothing while Amélie might be in danger didn't feel right. She had to find her. 

With slow and careful steps she moved. Going up the stairs and looking in all directions for any sign of danger. 

Esther walked a couple more steps but there was no sign of Amélie either. She was starting to get more anxious, worried and even scared. 

_Are these the same people that killed my mother?_ Esther thought. She didn't know them, never saw them. The reason her mother died was a mystery and now they being here is even more confusing. 

_What could they possibly want?_

If Esther couldn't find Amélie she was going to at least try to find Pierre. Having a little help is always good. 

But before she could make her way out of the dining room a rough hand covered her mouth, muffling any sounds she could think of making. Then another hand grabbed her arms and waist in a strong grip and rose her from the ground. 

Esther's eyes were wide and she suddenly felt like she couldn’t breathe. She tried with all of her might to call for Amélie, but all she could manage were little whimpers. 

She shut her eyes and a tiny tear escaped. 

_Please, don't let them take me._


	14. Arcanum

Panic. Her mind was numb and the only thing she could feel was panic. 

The hand on her mouth hurt. The grip around her arms and waist hurt. She was trying to move but she couldn’t. 

But then the sound of a jet brought her back to reality. 

_Amélie. Is she safe?_

_Amélie. Fight, she taught me._

Esther managed to punch the man in the stomach just enough to make him lose his grip on her. And so she ran, ran and ran. To anywhere because she knew he was right after her. 

She ran, until she pumped into two familiar faces. 

"Esther? Are you alright?" Sombra ran the rest of the way towards her with Reaper right behind. 

"They're... After me" Esther said between quick and anxious breaths. Finally stopping and resting with her hands on her knees. 

Just when Sombra looked up the man crossed the corner and she was quick to draw her gun and shot him right on the forehead. Dead. Finally. 

Esther let out a long breath of relief and closed her eyes. She soon felt two big hands on her shoulders. 

"Did they hurt you?" Reaper's voice was concerned. 

"Where is Widowmaker? She is supposed to watch over you" 

"No, I'm... I'm alright" Esther looked up at him. She wasn't hurt, true. But she was still shaking. Still very much scared. 

_Amélie._ There's nothing more that Esther wants right now than her. 

And as if she could feel the pull, Amélie finally showed up. The first thing she noticed was Talon’s jet, they were finally here. The second was the man on the ground and she felt like she could finally breathe. And at last, Esther, safe. 

When Esther turned her head to the side and saw Amélie she felt happier than ever. And even more relieved. Her eyes started to water again and she gave her a teary smile. And she ran. She ran towards her as fast as she could and enveloped Amélie in a tight hug. Clutching her sweater and burying her face on her neck. Feeling her slightly cold skin, her sweet perfume. Feeling at home. 

"I'm so glad you're okay" Esther whispered between tears. 

Amélie let out a breath and shut her eyes. Slowly bringing her hands up to squeeze Esther just as tight. Her rifle long forgotten on the ground. 

"Me too, mon amour" she whispered back. 

Meanwhile, on the other side, Sombra was smiling from ear to ear. 

"Aawwww this is so adorable. Look at them" she said with a cute voice, shaking Reaper's arm to emphasize her happiness. 

"What... What is this?" Reaper's face read pure confusion. 

"They're in love, you moron" 

"That's... " His face was so comical that Sombra couldn't help but burst out laughing. 

"Look's like we're all family now huh" She said with a teasing voice and poked him on the shoulder. 

He slapped her hand away and crossed his arms. "Leave it, Sombra" 

"Oh, I'm never going to" her smile only grew bigger. 

They eventually walked up to Esther and Amélie, and Sombra still had a teasing look on her face. She was loving it way too much. 

"Look at you two lovebirds. All good now?" 

Esther put some distance between them with a timid smile and Amélie rolled her eyes. 

"Far from it. Who are these people?"

"Uh don't kill my vibe araña. I'm happy that you're finally warming up this cold heart" 

"Sombra" Reaper and Amélie said in union. Some things never change. 

"Alright, alright. I'll do some digging" She walked away to search for any clues in the bodies and in their jet. Leaving Reaper alone with Amélie and Esther. 

"Esther, are you sure they didn't hurt you?" He looked her up and down. 

"I am, don't worry. They didn't seem to want to hurt me, they just wanted to capture me" 

"I see. And you were supposed to take care of her" he turned to Amélie with an angry look. 

"I was. But it was a surprise attack and I didn't have any weapons with me. But she can take care of herself too, she saved my life" Amélie turned to Esther with a sweet smile on her face, making the girl blush. 

Reaper chuckled and put a hand on Esther's shoulder, bringing her attention to him. 

"You remind me of your mother" 

Esther didn't think those simple words would make her feel so much better, but they did. She gave him a soft smile. 

* * *

"I really looked everywhere I could but whoever these people are they cover their tracks very well. The only thing I could find is that they seem to be a shady organization founded in 1967 that, as they themselves said, 'seek to find and eliminate the ancient spirits' whatever the hell that means" Sombra explained with a bored face. 

"That's... Weird" Esther didn't know what to think. She thought that maybe knowing their purpose would clarify things but it only brought more questions. 

They were all sitting in the dining room while Pierre brought everyone some coffee. For a moment Amélie thought that maybe the intruders had hurt him, but Pierre was out on the market when the house was invaded and when he came back he was pretty much paralyzed to see two jets, three dead bodies on the ground and two more Talon agents in Amélie’s yard. But as Esther kindly explained to him all that happened and that everyone was okay he eventually calmed down.

"Are these the same people that killed her mother?" Amélie asked and took a sip of her coffee. 

"It's likely, but we can't know for sure" Reaper answered. 

"Either way we can't risk this happening again. We'll go back to base and send a couple of guards to patrol the house every day" 

"And I also hacked a satellite that will alert us about any jets in the area that aren't Talon’s" Sombra said proudly. 

"Thank you guys" Esther smiled. 

After a while of talking, Sombra and Reaper prepared to leave. Taking the bodies with them to try and find anything more about the intruders. 

They bid their goodbyes and Reaper held himself back about asking what was going on between Amélie and Esther. They had more important things to worry about, for now. 

On the way back to base Sombra couldn't stop teasing him. 

"Hey amigo. When they get married will you be the one to take Esther to the altar? Because I'll be the main bridesmaid" 

Reaper huffed "Can you stop already?" 

"Nope. Never will" she laughed.


	15. Orange skies and sweet melodies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello fellas, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.   
> Please read the end notes. ♥

They watched the Talon jet leave until its image got blurred in the midst of the clouds on the horizon. Amélie let out a long breath of tiredness and relief, making Esther turn towards her. 

Amélie’s lip still had a little blood on it and it was starting to form a light bruise in her cheek. Esther raised her hand to gingerly touch it. 

"Why don't we go inside and take care of this?" 

Amélie only nodded to that, but she didn't move. Instead, she slowly brought her hands around Esther's waist and embraced her. With a strong grip at her hoodie just to make sure she was really there. 

"You know I would've never let them take you" she whispered with a slightly shaky voice. 

Esther hugged her back just as strong, resting her head on Amélie’s shoulder. "I know" 

They stayed like that for a while. Reassuring each other that, for now, they were fine. 

Eventually, they walked inside and sat in a comfy couch, so Esther could take care of Amélie’s wounds once again. 

She took a damp cloth and softly cleaned the blood on Amélie’s face. Amélie closed her eyes, taking the moment to enjoy the caring touch. 

"Do you have any idea about why they wanted you?" Amélie broke the silence. 

Esther finished cleaning then got a cube of ice wrapped in a cloth to put on Amélie’s cheek. "I really don't know. I never saw them and can't think of anything they might want from me... Or my mother, if they're the same people that killed her"

Esther exhaled "this is all so confusing"

Amélie took Esther's free hand and squeezed it a bit. "I know it is, but we'll figure it out" 

Esther smiled at her. She put the cube of ice aside and brought her hand up to rest on Amélie’s cheek. "I'm sorry they hurt you" she whispered. 

"It's nothing Mon chou" 

Amélie leaned forward and rested their foreheads together, she closed her eyes. It was scary, to think about them doing something to Esther, but Amélie swore to herself that she would do the impossible to prevent it from happening. 

Esther smiled and leaned further to met Amélie’s lips in a loving and soft kiss. Esther was calmer now, but she wouldn't be able to forget the events of today anytime soon. But Amélie’s presence certainly helped to keep her mind in a good place. 

* * *

The day seemed longer than normal today, so much had happened already. 

After they tended to each other's wounds, both physical and psychological, they ate delicious food that Pierre made. It was already the end of the afternoon and Esther and Amélie were outside watching the sunset. 

"Sombra told me that you don't usually open up to people, don't be mad at her, I asked" Esther chuckled. 

"But, that made me wonder, why me? Why you opened up with me?" Esther was honestly curious. She had asked yes, but Amélie was the one that actually chose to talk to her. 

Amélie smiled, looking at the sunset. The sky was exceptionally beautiful today, the sun was big, painting the sky with shades of orange and pink. The sea reflected it's beauty while the sun went down. 

"I didn't know at first either. But you were already squeezing your way into my heart without me even noticing" Amélie’s words made Esther let out a tiny laugh and blush a little. She looked adorable. 

"And it felt... Unusually warm, when you were with me. I think I just... I missed it, you reminded me that I'm more than what they made me, thank you" Amélie whispered the last words and looked at Esther with such love in her eyes that the girl almost melted. Amélie looked so angelic with the orange glow of the sun in her face, so at peace. And at that moment, Esther was happy. 

She took Amélie’s hand in her own and brought her body closer, resting her head in her shoulder. "I'll be here to remind you of that every day" 

* * *

It was late at night, but Amélie wasn't sleepy at all. She was, however, already comfortable in her pajamas, a black long-sleeved shirt, and black and pink shorts. She was sitting in the dining room, reading a book. Well, more precisely looking at the book with her mind wandering far away. She was trying her hardest to figure out what these intruders wanted or who they were, but it was to no vail. She was certain of one thing though, whoever they are or whatever they want, is involved with something much bigger and darker. 

"Why am I not surprised to find you here with that concerned face of yours?" Esther walked into the room with her hands behind her back and a teasing grin on her face. She was wearing a black T-shirt with a wolf on it and dark red pants. 

Amélie grinned to her "I'm just thinking, chérie" 

Esther chuckled "look, I'm worried too. But give yourself a break, they're not coming back anytime soon"

And with that Esther showed Amélie what was in her hands. "Look what I found" 

Amélie’s eyes grew only a bit wider from surprise. It was an old radio. She didn't even remember she had it in her house. 

"And I tested it. It works" Esther said with a smile. She put the radio on the table and turned it on, it took some seconds but she found a good station that was playing some sweet and calm melody. Amélie felt like she knew this song, but couldn't remember from where. 

Then Esther formally curved herself and extended her hand for Amélie "would you give me the honor of this dance, lady Amélie?" 

Amélie let out a tiny laugh "you're impossible" 

She took Esther's hand and rose to her feet. Her other hand going to Esther's waist and the girl's hand came to rest on her shoulder. For a long time, Amélie thought that she would never dance again, but if there's someone that was able to make her do so, it was Esther. 

They danced around the dining room in a slow and calm pace. Their bodies moving in perfect synchrony. After a while, Esther moved both her hands up to Amélie’s shoulders and brought her close. 

Amélie hugged her back and they just made little movements from side to side. And when she leaned forward and met Esther's lips in a sweet kiss, it felt like home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And at last, we reach the end. I can't say that I'm not sad that this fic is finished, because I absolutely loved it. And I really hope that you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.  
> I know that there are still unfinished matters to explore here. But, as I said, the main purpose of this fic was to explore Amélie's emotional side, that's why I didn't want to extend it any further because what I aimed to do here, is done.   
> Buuut, if you guys want me to turn this into a series and write another work continuing this story and exploring all the deal with Esther's story, Please do let me know because I might do it. ;)  
> Also, if you have any ideas for future Amélie fics, or with any other Overwatch lady or a random character, please tell me. I'm completely open to requests and ideas.  
> That being said, I can't thank you guys enough for all the support throughout this fic, thank you for all the sweet comments and for reading this story. You guys are amazing, and you were the ones that kept this fic going. ♥


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